Karnal institute raises a toast to high-yield barley

The Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR) has developed two new high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties of barley for use by breweries and other industries for malting.

These varieties were formally recommended for release for commercial cultivation by the all-India wheat and barley research workers' meet held recently at Kanpur.

Named DWRUB 52 and RD 2668, these barley varieties are meant to be grown with irrigation in the northwestern states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal (except the Tarai region).

Both varieties, belonging to the two-row type barley, have good yield potential of between 42.5 and 45 quintal a hectare. Their malting quality is claimed to be good, suitable for brewing and distillation, as also for producing malt for baby foods, cocoa-malt drinks and medicinal syrups.

These have been bred under the all-India coordinated wheat and barley improvement programme of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Part of the funding for the development of DWRUB 52 has come from United Breweries.

According to DWR Director B Mishra, the demand for malting-type barley is picking up in the country because of the growing market for malt, malt extracts and malt-based products.

Steadily rising consumer demand for products like beer, energy drinks and confectionery items in both urban and rural areas is likely to further increase the requirement of malt-type barley.