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Barley is the most widely grown grain in Norway, and has been for many years. Barley is grown on approximately 1.15 million acres, approximately 45% of the grain area. Almost all of it is used for concentrated feed production.

Line selection

Through what we call line selection, we find the lines that have the desired characteristics. Breeders select varieties/lines with the desired characteristics, and then these are crossed to create variation. In trials, the agronomic characteristics and yields are observed and measured. In laboratories, the grain quality is examined. The varieties/lines must also be tested on different farms in Norway, to see how they perform in different climates and on different soils.

Important features

The characteristics plant breeders look for when creating a new barley variety for feed:

• High yield
• Good straw strength and straw quality
• Resistance to fungal diseases
• Earlyness