Fargo, North Dakota
June 29, 2007
Pinnacle, a new two-rowed barley
variety, has been developed and released by the North Dakota
Agricultural Experiment Station, says Al Schneiter,
North Dakota State
University Department of Plant Sciences chair.
Pinnacle has barley parentage of mostly experimental lines, but
includes Logan and Foster in its early ancestry. The original
cross was made in 1999 by Jerry Franckowiak, former NDSU
two-rowed barley breeder who retired in 2006.
Pinnacle has a white hull, smooth awns and long rachilla hair.
Stephen Neate, NDSU barley plant pathologist, says Pinnacle has
greater resistance to spot blotch than Conlon, North Dakota's
leading two-rowed barley, and approaches that of Lacey and
Drummond, which are six-rowed varieties. Fusarium head blight
resistance, measured as a percent of infected kernels, is
slightly less than that of Conlon, while the deoxynivalenol
(DON) level is slightly higher.
Based on four years of trials in North Dakota by the NDSU barley
breeding program, Pinnacle has a 15 percent yield advantage over
Conlon. Pinnacle heads out about three days later than Conlon,
but has greater straw strength than Conlon and approaches that
of the strongest six-rowed varieties.
One of Pinnacle's strengths is its excellent quality, making it
a possible candidate for malting and brewing uses, says Paul
Schwarz, NDSU malting and brewing scientist. Compared with
Conlon, Pinnacle has lower protein and a higher percentage of
plump kernels. The remainder of its malting characteristics is
similar to Conlon, which is accepted by the malting and brewing
industry.
Pinnacle has been tested for a year by the American Malting
Barley Association and has received a satisfactory rating in all
tests. Tests are being conducted on the 2006 crop.
If accepted by the industry as a malting variety, Pinnacle is
expected to replace almost all the acreage of Conlon. Pinnacle
is expected to have a significant economic impact on the state's
barley industry because of its significant yield advantage,
increased plumpness and reduced protein compared with Conlon.
Pinnacle will be allocated through the County Crop Improvement
Association in spring 2008. The NDSU Research Foundation will
apply for plant variety protection with Title V and assess
research fees of 25 cents per bushel on registered and certified
seed. |
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