Manitoba, Canada

Barley production and cultivar development trends for Western Canada.

M.C. Therrien

AAFC Brandon Research Centre

Brandon, MB, Canada

Barley Production Trends for Western Canada 2005-2009:

The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has been conducting a detailed survey of the acreage of barley production on a cultivar basis for some time. This provides valuable information on producer preference for cultivars and the implications on domestic and export markets and future trends. Table 1 summarizes survey results and represents five-year production trends and possible implications on the future direction of barley breeding in Western Canada (WC).

Barley is the third largest annual crop grown in WC, with wheat (all types) being number 1, followed by canola. Barley contributes billions of dollars to the Canadian economy annually with over 7 million acres of production annually over the last decade.

Table 1 shows the planted acreage of barley rising from 2005 to 2007, then falling dramatically in 2008 and 2009. Although malting varieties dominate the barley acreage in WC, most of the barley ends up as livestock feed or forage. Only 20% of the malting barley, on average, is bought as malt in any given year. The remaining 80%, along with all the feed cultivars, is sold as feed or fed on-farm as grain for livestock. As well, forage cultivars are used exclusively as fodder for cattle. The relatively small acreage of hulless barley goes mainly to livestock feed (c. 90%), as well, with roughly 10% of the production going to food products. The strong downward trend in barley production is mirrored by the other major cereals grown in Canada, including wheat, oats, and rye. Production of corn has remianed stable in the last 5 years while canola and soybeans have steadily increased. This indicates a shift away from cereal production which is bound to impact barley in a negative way. It is generally felt that barley acreage will find a lower, stable number in the next 5 years. The current downward trend is likely the result of falling livestock numbers (which are expected to stabilize in the next 3 – 5 years), as well fewer growers wanting to grow malting barley from experiencing consecutive years of failing to get malting status for their crop. The increased presence of Fusarium Head Blight has also been a major factor in producers abandoning barley in their crop rotation in wetter regions.

Table 1: Total Seeded Acres of Barley – Western Canada – 2005 to 2009:

(x ‘000 ac.)

Type	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Two-row malt	6086	4279	5346	4984	4001
Six-row malt	705	711	1013	1081	646
Total malt	6791	4990	6359	6065	4647
Feed	1448	1782	1980	764	454
Forage	594	1176	1623	756	936
Hulless	54	64	185	75	176
Total:	8887	8012	10146	7660	7191

Future Trends in Western Canada Breeding Programs:

Table 2 shows the percent of the growing area sown to the major barley types in the last 5 years. Although there was a dip in 2006 and 2007, two and six row malting barley combined remain the mostly widely grown in WC. This is followed by forage barley, which has shown a general upward trend with fluctuations tied closely with the total number of beef cattle in WC in a given year. Hulless barley has shown a modest but steady increase as the barley food market is slowly establishing itself in Canada and the U.S. Feed (non-forage) barley is the only category to show a dramatic drop in acreage. These trends are driving the future direction of WC breeding programs.

Table 2: Percent of Barley Types Grown in Western Canada – 2005 to 2009:

Type	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Two-row malt	68.5	53.4	52.7	65.1	64.4
Six-row malt	7.9	8.9	10.0	14.1	10.4
Total malt	76.4	62.3	62.7	79.2	74.8
Feed	16.3	22.2	19.5	10.0	7.3
Forage	6.7	14.7	16.0	9.9	15.1
Hulless	0.6	0.8	1.8	1.0	2.8

There are three public, and one private, breeding efforts in WC. All have experienced some level of downsizing in recent years. As a result, each program has had to narrow its’ focus in terms of cultivar development.

Because of the steady and large demand, there remains a strong emphasis in developing new two-row malting cultivars. This represents around 60% of all cultivar development in WC. The six-row malting development effort is the next largest, at some 20% of across-the-board activities. Unlike two-row malting barley, the demand for six-row malting barley (in Western Canada) is uncertain, as of the 2009 crop season. If the uncertainty is removed, the effort will continue at its’ current level. However, if demand for six-row malting barley continues to drop significantly, the breeding effort will likely be curtailed or even ended, for lack of a market.

Forage barley cultivar development sits in third place, with around 10% of resources devoted to this effort. Since demand for forage cultivars has been steady for some 10 years, it is expected that this effort will not change appreciably into the foreseeable future. Feed (non-forage) barley development activities have been greatly reduced in the last 5 years, in parallel to the sharp drop in demand for this type of barley. Standard fed cultivar development activities in WC may cease in the next 3-5 years.

About 8% of cultivar development is aimed at food (hulless) barley. This endeavour is at a crossroads because of the relatively costly nature of this enterprise and its’ need for rare, specialized expertise. Thus, the continuation of the programs actively involved in food barley development will be contingent on a high enough sale volume of commercial food barley to warrant continued investment in this effort.

The next five years will be critical in determining the future of barley cultivar development in Western Canada. Depending on market signals and level of funding, the combined breeding effort could be reduced to two-row malting and forage barley cultivar development. Concurrently, we could also see a reduction in the number of professionals involved in cultivar development. Market upswings and renewed investment in breeding would reverse this trend and assure a solid future for this venerable crop in Western Canada.