Milwaukee – July 9, 2019 – The American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) Board of Directors added the following variety to the recommended list of malting barley varieties for 2019. LCS Violetta, a winter two-row malting variety, was developed by Saatzucht Breun in Germany and is marketed in the US by Limagrain Cereal Seeds. It has performed well in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, but may not perform as well in the upper Midwest and northeast during severe winters.
US Malting Barley Industry Moving Towards Two-Row Varieties
The North American malting barley industry has undergone some significant changes in the last quarter century. There has been a decline in the area planted to barley, particularly feed types, an increase in direct contracting with producers, and a shift toward two-row varieties.
The industry was founded on the production of six-rowed varieties. Early production was concentrated near the large brewing centers in the eastern half of the continent and growers found that the available six-row varieties performed best in these humid regions. Brewers too, favored these varieties which had quality attributes best suited to making the beer that the public was drinking.
Brewing Industry Needs a Diverse Supply of Malting Barley
October 11, 2012 – The North American brewing industry has long relied on domestic barley production to produce the beers enjoyed by consumers. US production is almost exclusively dependent on six-rowed and two-rowed varieties that have been developed in North America.