USA: American Malting Barley Association publishes list of recommended malting barley varieties

The American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) board of directors annually develops a list of recommended malting barley varieties for U.S. growers for the upcoming crop year. AMBA is a nonprofit trade association of 60+ malting, brewing, distilling and food companies that are end-users of U.S. malting barley.

The AMBA Recommended List is intended to provide U.S. growers with guidance as to what varieties the industry may be contracting or purchasing in the coming year. It is not intended as a list of approved or certified malting varieties for the use by brewers, distillers, food companies, or maltsters. There may be many suitable malting barley varieties grown domestically or internationally that are not on the list yet have quality characteristics desired by the industry.

Some varieties will be used in large quantities and many others are only utilized in niche markets, so producers are encouraged to contact their local elevator, grain handler or processor to gauge market demand for any variety grown in their region prior to seeding.

Additions to the 2023 list include CDC Fraser and KWS Donau.

CDC Fraser is a spring variety registered in Canada in 2016 and developed by Dr. Aaron Beattie at the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan. It offers high extract, enzyme, and grain yield with a good disease resistance package. CDC Fraser has quickly gained momentum in western Canada, often replacing AC Metcalfe acreage.
KWS Donau is a winter variety widely used in Austria and released by KWS Seeds. It is an early maturing variety with good yield, providing light-colored malts with favorable beta-glucan. KWS Donau possesses many of the same favorable attributes of its predecessor, KWS Wintmalt.
Varieties excluded from the 2023 list include Pinnacle and Charles — two varieties that have experienced significant decline in acreage over the past several years and are no longer considered recommended varieties to growers.

With these changes from last year, the list of recommended malting barley varieties for 2023 is as follows:

Two-Row Varieties:

AAC Connect; Bill Coors 100; Flavia*; Merit 57; ND Genesis; AAC Synergy; CDC Copeland; Hockett; Moravian 37; Newdale; ABI Cardinal; CDC Fraser; KWS Donau*; Moravian 69; Puffin*; ABI Eagle; Conrad; LCS Genie; Moravian 164; Regina*; ABI Growler; Endeavor*; LCS Odyssey; Moravian 165; Thunder*; ABI Voyager; Expedition; LCS Violetta*; Moravian 170; Wintmalt*; AC Metcalfe; Explorer; Mayflower; Moravian 179

Six-Row Varieties
Celebration; Lacey; Quest; Tradition; Innovation; Legacy; Thoroughbred*


* Winter varieties

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