Evaluating the End-Uses of Naked Barley to Enhance the Domestic Food and Beverage Market

Commodities

Practices

The Upper Midwest has been an important region in the United States for malting, brewing, and small grains production. With epidemics like Fusarium head blight (caused by Fusarium graminearum) and more economically attractive crops like corn and soybean, many farmers have shifted away from small grains. Naked barley, barley possessing a freely threshing hull, can bring value back to small grain farming in the Upper Midwest. Farmers, maltsters, brewers, distillers, bakers, and pet-food manufacturers can benefit by naked barley's shedding hull, which contains a high portion of toxin produced by Fusarium graminearum. There is interest in the use of naked barley by stakeholders, but there is little information on the practicality of naked barley in industrial processes. Adoption of naked barley in domestic markets can increase consumer safety by lowering deoxynivalenol content and decrease costs to the farmer, increasing their economic viability, while providing a management solution for one of the most challenging diseases they face.

In this project, "Evaluating the End-Uses of Naked Barley to Enhance the Domestic Food and Beverage Market" we will use a regionally relevant naked barley genotype MN-Luna and compare it with a genotypically and phenotypically similar covered genotype. We will characterize how naked barley can be used in post-harvest processes, and where naked barley differs from covered barley. In collaboration with Artisan Grain Collaborative, Vertical Malt, Black Frost Distilling Company, and other partners, we will carry out several pilot projects that use naked barley as a primary ingredient. Malt batches of the naked and covered genotypes will be used by brewers, distillers, millers, and bakers (bakers often use malted barley flour as an ingredient) who are interested in naked barley and are willing to provide case study information for an extension publication. In these pilot studies we will characterize the differences between naked barley and covered barley through appropriate sensory evaluations, and identify steps that will help optimize the use of naked barley. We will analyze the data by comparing the naked and covered barley genotypes at each processing step where evaluations or data collection occurred. This information will be compiled into an extension publication, and presented at several field days and conferences. As part of our evaluation strategy, we will conduct a survey to evaluate the impression of naked barley from relevant stakeholders before and after exposure to this work. We will also conduct post-project interviews with partners.

Barley is an important crop used for food, feed, and malting, bringing value to several domestic market spaces. Therefore, naked barley is also important, but is currently underutilized and understudied. There is interest in using naked barley as an ingredient by stakeholders, but more needs to be known regarding how naked barley functions in processing in comparison to covered barley. This project will address these items and result in learning and action outcomes for both partners (project collaborator stakeholders) and stakeholders.

Regarding learning outcomes, partners and stakeholders will know how naked barley differs from covered barley for several food and beverage end-uses. Partners will achieve this learning outcome by participating in the work, where we will measure impact during post-project interviews. Stakeholders, including farmers, will learn of this work through presentations and an extension publication. Where able, we will assess this learning outcome through an evaluation survey and/or by attendance of stakeholders at presentations.

An action outcome for partners is that they will increase their usage of naked barley as a result of this work. This will be measured by asking if they plan to utilize naked barley more in post-project interviews and communication with partners following the conclusion of the project. For stakeholders, we will measure if there is more interest/willingness to try naked barley after learning of this work. We will measure this behavior change in the evaluation survey presented to stakeholders through several mechanisms, including presentations and Artisan Grain Collaborative communications.