Each year, the Craft Maltsters Guild asks some of the leading North American grain research and professional organizations for their regional perspectives on the year’s crop quality and yields. Here are reflections from Oregon State University’s Barley Project, the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee, the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA), and the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC).
If you’d like your harvest report included, please send it to [email protected].
Oregon State University’s Barley Project
It was a cool moist spring which transitioned to a hot dry summer in the Northwest. Overall, it seems to have made for some favorable growing conditions for fall planted barley. This was a nice reprieve after a harsh winter with significant winter kill in Idaho last year. In Oregon, it was another successful year of growing plump low protein winter malting barley (Thunder) in one of the state’s low rainfall dryland areas. More info on that specific project can be found here.
In the Willamette Valley, well-known hop grower Goschie Farms took a page out of California’s book and planted a spring barley (Oregon Promise) in the fall. Winter survival wasn’t an issue and they were able to take advantage of the winter precipitation resulting in a plump low protein crop. Mixed reports from the Oregon-California border in the Klamath Basin with a late season frost at an inopportune time. Some high proteins but also some solid yields with plenty of certified seed production of one of our new GN0 barleys, GN0-Vivar. If you are interested in getting some seed let us know!
Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center
In the mid-Atlantic, heat and drought during the grain fill period led to rapid maturation and reduced test weight for the 2023-2024 growing season. Fortunately, precipitation throughout the region during mid- to late grain fill largely saved the crop, with another period of heat and low precipitation at maturation that helped mature the crop 1-2 weeks earlier than typical, and allowed growers to get into the field to harvest with plenty of time. Those same late season storms did result in lodging in some areas. Disease pressure was high in some regions. Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus had very high infection rates in eastern and southern Virginia, as well as in parts of Maryland and Delaware (and potentially other unobserved locations). Leaf rust was observed in western Virginia, but was not prevalent across the mid Atlantic. Powdery mildew was observed in Eastern Virginia, but had relatively low pressure due to high temperatures and dry conditions shortly after disease onset. Fusarium head blight (scab) pressure was moderate across most of the state, and came on slightly later than typical years.
Montana Wheat & Barley Committee
The 2024 barley crop out of Big Sky Country totaled 36 million bushels, harvested 710,000 acres and averaged 51 bushels/acre, according to the USDA. This is a story of great differences, largely resulting from an extremely hot, dry July followed by intermittent rain showers not needed throughout harvest. Large pockets of the crop suffered sprout damage in addition to areas with thinner barley and higher protein content due to dry conditions. While reports of the malt barley crop appear to be a little bit “depending on who you talk to,” we estimate that as much as 30 percent of the crop, depending on contract locations, was rejected by first purchasers. Buyers avoiding the high harvest rainfall areas expect issues to be much lower, from five to ten percent. As always with a moisture-damaged crop, the industry works to receive and utilize as much as possible before quality further deteriorates.
In Montana, it’s important to remember that 80 percent of barley acres are dryland. Those area farmers suffered more in July. However, in southcentral Montana where barley had a planting jumpstart, barley quality was mostly at its best – yet that area typically produces about 15 percent of the overall crop, so its weight in the bigger picture is less noticeable against the greater majority of quality-related issues in the state.
Producers finding their contracts not accepted are now seeking alternative markets and unfortunately the feed barley market is weak. Added to this, malt barley growers are reporting complications with contract guarantees against crop insurance claims.
American Malting Barley Association (AMBA)
Alongside Peter Watts of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre, AMBA Director Ashley MacFarland presented observations from this year’s harvest. Watts’ synopsis is below, and McFarland reported that the United States went into the season with good moisture going into the 2024 crop season, she reported; however, lower planted and harvested acreage brought down production levels despite an increase in barley yield (all year-over-year metrics). She put those numbers into context in her presentation that members can watch on our website.
Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre
The 2023 seeding, growing and harvest season was a rollercoaster for farmers and the western Canadian grain industry.Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s April 30th drought monitor report showed the entire Prairie growing region in moderate to extreme drought conditions although the dry weather allowed many farmers to get crops planted early. In early May the prairies received widespread rains with moisture continuing regularly in many regions through the third week of June. The moisture delayed seeding for some with farmers still putting crops in the ground in early June, creating a tale of two crops: early vs late seeded with the latter faring better than the former.
By June 30 th the drought monitor showed most of the Prairies were no longer in drought, a remarkable improvement from two months earlier. With cautious optimism in the air, the taps turned off at the end of June and temperatures turned hot through most of the month of July, with early seeded crops in particular taking the brunt of the impact and significant yield and quality losses evident by late July.
Some rains in early August helped fill later seed crops; but for the southern and western parts of the prairies, yield losses were widespread. The prairie harvest started in earnest in the 2nd week of August and progressed quickly over the following weeks with seasonally warm weather. Some intermittent rains and heavy dew conditions slowed harvest but for the most part producers were able to harvest their barley in relatively dry conditions through the middle of September with pre-harvest sprout damage much more moderate than seen with the 2023 harvest.
The CMBTC’s 2024 new crop tour with representatives from Japan’s brewing industry in a field of AAC Connect near Rosetown, SK on August 14th. The crop was seeded on June 1st helping it withstand the dry, hot July weather. The big story from a quality standpoint this year had been the light test weight in barley and low percentage of plump kernels in many regions, both important quality criteria for maltsters and brewers. Combined with higher-than-average protein levels, malting and grain companies have been working hard to find quality malting barley to produce good malt for the brewing industry.
Barley production in Canada in 2024 is estimated to be 8-8.5 million tonnes, down 5-10% from the 2023 crop of 8.9 million tonnes. Early season rains generated optimism for good yields, but a dry, hot July negatively impacted crops in many areas resulting in slightly below trend yields of approximately 65 bushels per acre on average*, though there is significant variability across the prairies and even within small regions.
*CMBTC estimate as of the writing of this report.
Harvest Reports From Maltsters
Thanks to several of our members who shared their 2024 harvest reports with us this year. If you’d like your 2024 harvest update included or linked here, please send it to [email protected].
This year marks the third year Avalon barley has been in production for us, and we are excited to see it take a starring role! In the coming months we will welcome high-quality lots of this new varietal from farmers in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee.
While the Avalon barley made it to harvest somewhat unscathed, other varietals and several of our small batch, innovation projects took it on the chin this year. Rainfall patterns were unseasonably dry in April and unseasonably wet in May, a pattern that distinctly impacts quality. A dry April restricts kernel growth when the barley is in the crucial ‘head fill’ stage. As the grain transitions into the ripening phase in mid to late May, excessive precipitation can stress the kernels and potentially trigger pre-harvest sprout damage. These impacts were evident as we reviewed lab data showing low test weight and reduced RVA levels (rapid viscosity analysis), which is a measure of pre-harvest sprout damage.
Thankfully, only between 10 and 15 percent of our acreage was impacted. We still estimate that we will have sufficient high-quality grain to support production over the year.
Root Shoot Malting
In August, many of Root Shoot’s crops got pummeled by a single hail storm, so they flipped the disaster into a fundraiser! For the month of September, Olander Farms and Root Shoot raised funds in support of their farm AND the Craft Maltsters Guild. We appreciate their support even during tough times.
Rustic Brew Farm
Rustic Brew Farm harvested Violetta winter 2 row barley in mid June and came up with perfect malting quality! The protein is low at about 10%, germination capacity is 99%. No pre harvest sprout or DON!