High Quality Beverage Raw Materials for the Craft Brewing Industry

Project Overview

LNC13-349
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2013: $196,953.00
Projected End Date: 09/30/2017
Grant Recipient: University of Wisconsin
Region: North Central
State: Wisconsin
Project Coordinator:
Carl Duley
Email
UW-Extension

Annual Reports

Information Products

Commodities

  • Agronomic: barley, hops

Practices

  • Education and Training: extension, networking, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
  • Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns
  • Pest Management: chemical control, cultural control, economic threshold, integrated pest management, physical control, weather monitoring
  • Production Systems: general crop production

    Abstract:

    Project continues to progress very well.  Hop and malting barley farm cooperators continue to be essential for the success of the project.  2016 was extremely wet in Wisconsin, with many regions in Wisconsin setting record annual rainfall.  Excessive rain provided both clarity and challenges to our work on hops and malting barley. 

    Hops probably suffered more from the excess rainfall with a reminder once again that timely fungicide applications are essential.  Any stands that are more than 3 years old fought with Downy for the entire growing season.  Malting barley grown by farmers in Western Wisconsin once again made malting specs for craft brewers which was very exciting given the intense growing season.

    Project objectives:

    Hop Emphasis:

    • Continue Hop Downy Mildew identification and control.
    • Study the life cycle of Hop Downy Mildew under Wisconsin conditions at four sites throughout the state.
    • Study pathogen persistence and reproduction under Wisconsin conditions.
    • Clean plant propagation success in the field.
    • Begin Hop soil fertility study.

     

    Malting Barley Emphasis:

    • Continue to study spring malting barley varieties under Wisconsin growing conditions.
    • Participate in Dr. Kevin Smith's winter malting barley trials.
    • Establish Dr. Brian Steffenson's winter plot, "Vavilov Barleys' for Winter Hardiness Assessments.
    • Study fungicide timing and application in spring malting barley.
    • Gather data on nitrogen application rates on spring malting barley under Wisconsin growing conditions.
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.