A well-known Moray farmer is trialling a new variety of spring barley.
Iain Green, who runs a 3,000-acre mixed arable and livestock enterprise at Corskie, near Fochabers, with his parents Jimmy and Nan, is growing a block of Olympus in conjunction with GrainCo Scotland.
The trial is one of two being conducted by GrainCo in Scotland to see whether or not the variety will achieve Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) malting approval for grain distilling.
The other trial site is in Stirlingshire near GrainCo’s base in Alloa. The company’s commercial director in Scotland, Charlie Birnie, said: “We are delighted to be in at the start of a new variety that has the potential to take a large share in the high diastatic market.
“GrainCo is the largest supplier of high diastatic barley to Crisp Malting Group’s maltings in Alloa so it is very interesting to see the variety growing in the field and then following it through to see how it does at the end-user.”
Crisp Malting Group’s commercial director, Bob King, said: “Crisp are looking for a new high diastatic variety as the ones, Belgravia and Maresi, we are using at the moment are outdated in terms of yield against the newer varieties being bred today. The yield of Olympus is 9% higher than Belgravia which is the standard variety at the moment. Olympus potentially offers growers a Belgravia replacement with the benefit of a significant yield increase.”
Iain Green said: “We have grown Maresi for many years with great success growing to the standard required. It is interesting to see the new variety Olympus growing alongside our crops of Maresi and to see how it will compare at harvest. At the moment the fields of Olympus look very good, but it is the yield and nitrogen level of the grain that will decide if the variety makes it.”