Collaborative Testing and Development of Forage Barley Varieties for Western Canada

Background

CDC Cowboy and CDC Maverick are currently the most popular forage barley varieties in the prairies. However, several new varieties such as AB Cattlelac, AB Advantage, and AB Wrangler hit the market in the last five years. In addition, there are new varieties being developed that are close to being released. These new lines come with not only improved forage biomass yield, but have also shown better forage quality as compared to the established varieties, such as CDC Cowboy. New germplasm and desirable genes are being continuously added into the breeding populations, and much more progress is to be anticipated from the breeding of forage barley.

Objectives

• Evaluate advanced barley lines for adaptation and yield (grain, biomass) stability across different soil zones of western Canada
• Select and release promising lines with high forage yield and enhanced fodder quality for commercial cultivation

What they Did

This project was a variety trial in which newly developed barley lines were tested against four commonly used varieties (AB Cattlelac, CDC Austenson, CDC Cowboy, Vivar). Two separate trials were conducted, one in which varieties were assessed for forage traits and another in which they were assessed for feed traits. The forage set was tested in seven locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and the grain set was tested at 15 locations. Researchers evaluated the varieties for various agronomic and feed quality parameters with an emphasis on feed and forage traits. 

wHat THEY Learned

In each of the three years of testing, the barley lines showed substantial differences both in terms of forage and grain yields, and their nutritional and digestibility profiles as animal feed. They also varied in how well they adapted to different conditions, with some of the lines seemed to be more broadly adapted, while others were better suited to specific areas.

The Western Crop Innovations (WCI) released three new varieties, AB Maximizer, AB Standswell and FB22816 that showed high potential for forage production during the duration of this project.  AB Maximizer and AB Standswell were released in 2022, and these will be available to producers for the 2025 cropping season. FB22816 was released in spring 2024. It is currently undergoing seed propagation and will become commercially available to producers in 2027.

The three new varieties had 20-25% higher grain yield than the traditional forage variety CDC Cowboy, while providing the same high forage yield as CDC Cowboy. WCI selects for high grain to straw ratios in forage varieties. Given that grain is typically the most digestible and nutrient-rich part of barley, prioritizing high grain to straw ratios in forage varieties is key to optimizing feed nutrition for livestock.

Each segment of the livestock industry has its own unique requirements, whether it is cow-calf, backgrounding, or feedlot operations. Similarly, the barley varieties we develop exhibit considerable diversity. By breeding different classes of varieties, we are ensuring that producers have access to a range of choices that meet their diverse needs.

Building on the recent successes, our breeding program has several other barley lines on the horizon that are showing even more progress in terms of yield, standability, resistance to diseases, and the quality of the feed they provide. The new lines coming through the pipeline boost both grain and forage yields by an extra 5-10%. These advancements represent promising developments in our ongoing efforts to enhance barley varieties. We have been tweaking our breeding methodology in recent years, with visible results in these promising up-and-coming varieties.

What This Means

Advancing barley genetics for forage performance goes a long way to support the Alberta and western Canadian livestock industry. The new barley varieties are delivering higher carrying capacity, meaning they can support more livestock per acre of land, and reduce costs of production. The newer genetics with improved fodder quality also boost the rate of weight gain in livestock. This means animals are growing faster and more efficiently, enhancing productivity and profitability.

In this forage breeding program they are directly selecting for animal production metrics like carrying capacity and average daily gain. By prioritizing these metrics, they aim to develop barley varieties that not only benefit farmers but also optimize the performance and well-being of the cattle themselves.