Spring barley LG Diablo has been given full approval for malt distilling use by the Malting Barley Committee, and has also been moved to provisional approval 2 for brewing. This makes the variety the highest yielding spring barley on the AHDB Recommended List with full approval for malt distilling.
Based on its move to provisional approval 2 for brewing, if full approval for brewing is also obtained next year, LG Diablo will be the highest yielding dual-use spring barley, according to Limagrain UK’s arable wholesale sales manager, Matt Shand.
LG Diablo’s UK yield sits two per cent more than the current market favourites at 105 per cent of control. Last year, it outperformed other leading varieties such as RGT Planet and Laureate by a significant amount in the key malting barley growing areas across the East (106 per cent) and North (107 per cent) regions in fungicide treated trials.
According to Limagrain’s technical arable manager, Ron Granger, LG Diablo’s untreated yields also sit at the top of the yield table alongside Laureate at 94 per cent of control, and one per cent more than that of RGT Planet, demonstrating the variety’s very robust disease resistance profile.
“In terms of agronomic package, LG Diablo has straw characteristics similar to RGT Planet; medium in height (73cm) with good lodging and brackling resistance,” he said. “Although rated slightly later maturing, this wouldn’t appear to have an effect regarding its high yield potential as seen in the very testing season of 2018.
“The very high yield potential combined with a a good specific weight means that LG Diablo fits the bill as a good feed barley variety.”
The variety has a very good specific weight, which is important in the malting industry as malting is a volume-based process and low specific weights cause reduced throughput in the processing plants, Mr Shand added.
“So, growers with low specific weight parcels will incur penalties if specifications are not met, particularly in times of over-production,” he said. “Its hot water extract is a similar level to that of Concerto – a trait that helped Concerto to become a benchmark variety. Again it’s about meeting the needs of the market as a high hot water extract is heavily desired by the end user in order for them to achieve higher sugar extraction rates from the malt and the ability to create more alcohol – and LG Diablo offers this.
“Now that the variety has been given the green light by the industry for distilling, we believe that LG Diablo will fulfil the requirements of both grower and end users to become a key variety in the spring barley sector in the next couple of years”
For more information visit: www.lgseeds.co.uk.
