1. Barley was one of the first domesticated grains and was important for making bread and beer. It provided nutrients for yeast growth and its husk helped with filtration. 2. There are different varieties of barley classified by winter/spring planting and 2-row/6-row grain structure. Specific varieties are chosen for malting or feed purposes. 3. The Maris Otter variety was developed through selection and breeding over many decades, becoming an important malting variety in 1965 though newer varieties now aim to improve yield and quality further.

1. Utterly Otterly
Why barley?
What barley?
Whither barley?

2. Why Barley?
• Barley was there first
• Fertile Crescent
• Bread and beer
• Starch as carbohydrate for alcohol
• Enzymes
• Nutrients for yeast growth
• Husk for filtration
• Availability

3. Why Barley?
• Bread and beer
• Wheat appealed to the wealthy
• Barley bread for the poor
• Barley for all men as beer
• Other cereals?
• Migration across Europe

4. What Barley?
• Landraces
• Varieties
• Classification
– Winter / Spring

5. b B
bb
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
b
C
C 1.5

6. What Barley?
• Landraces
• Varieties
• Classification
– Winter / Spring
– 2-row / 6-row

7. 1.7

8. What Barley?
• Landraces
• Varieties
• Classification
– Winter / Spring
– 2-row / 6-row
– Malting / Feed
• Varietal features

9. Longitudinal section of a malting barley
corn
pericarp
husk testa
acrospire
vascular pathway
scutellum
aleurone layer
scutellar
epithelial cells
cell
wall
roots
large starch granule
small starch granule
protein matrix
Unmodified endosperm
Modified endosperm

10. 1.10

11. Agronomy
• Improved grain yields
• Shorter and stiffer straws
• Ears that do not shatter
• Earlier ripening
• Greater disease resistance
• Greater uniformity

12. Market
• Brewhouse extract
• Processability
– Malting
• Water uptake
• Rapid germination
• Complete cell wall breakdown
– Brewing
• Enzymes
• Filterability

13. Journey to
Maris Otter
• Landraces
• Selection
• Chevallier 1824
• Plumage, Spratt, Archer to 1900
• Pioneer 1943
• Proctor 1953
• Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964
• Maris Otter 1965

14. Journey from
Maris Otter
• Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964
• Breeding cycles
• 1976 – 1985 - Yield
• Halcyon, Pipkin – Quality
• 1985 – 2000 - Yield/Quality
• 2000 onwards – Yield and Quality
– Pearl, Flagon

15. Journey from
Maris Otter

18. Chevallier
• • Gene marker-
assisted breeding
project for mould
resistance
• 1824 – wettest
autumn since
records began!

19. Winter Malting Quality
Pedigree
Pioneer Proctor
Igri Athos MarisOtter Warboys Sergeant
Cross1
Finesse Torrent Puffin T
Angora Halcyon NRPB87/5378 Pipkin
Fanfare Rifle NFC296-7
NSL96-7157 Opal Pearl Cross2
Cassata Flagon

20. Whither barley?
• New varieties – tried and tested
– For the farmer
– For the brewer
• A little bit of Otter in everything
– And some Chevallier!
Date