The new North Dakota State University two-rowed barley variety ND Genesis has been added to the American Malting Barley Association’s (AMBA) 2016 list of recommended malting barley varieties. The announcement came following the AMBA board meeting held in December in Milwaukee, Wis.

ND Genesis was released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2015 and distributed for the first time through the North Dakota County Seed Increase Program.

Improved foliar disease resistance and yield potential give ND Genesis an advantage over Pinnacle, an NDSU two-rowed barley variety released in 2007.

“ND Genesis seems adapted to all parts of North Dakota and adjacent areas of Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota,” says Richard Horsley, NDSU Department of Plant Sciences head. “ND Genesis also has some promise in the spring barley production areas of the eastern U.S., where growers producing barley for the craft market have been growing Pinnacle because of its low protein.”

ND Genesis is a high-yielding barley variety. Based on eight years of the barley breeding program’s yield trials across the state, ND Genesis has about a 5 percent yield advantage over Pinnacle. The average yield advantage is more than 8 percent in eastern North Dakota and nearly 3 percent in western North Dakota.

ND Genesis has large, plump kernels and good malt extract values. It accumulates 20 percent less deoxynivalenol (DON) and has lower beta-glucan values than Pinnacle.

If you are interested in growing ND Genesis, contact your NDSU Extension Service county agent or refer to the North Dakota Field Inspected Seed Directory at http://www.nd.gov/seed/ for seed availability.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Jan. 8, 2016