Eco-friendly barley

Scientists and their colleagues at the US Department of Agriculture (ARS) have developed a new barley that benefits the environment as well as farm animals.

Clearwater shelled barley is rich in phosphorus - an essential nutrient that pigs, fish and other single stomachs can use. This type of barley is not the same as the common barley grain which contains high levels of phytate in phosphorus (the substance that prevents the intestinal absorption of some very important minerals and makes it difficult for digestible single stomach animals to digest OK).

Phosphorus that is easily digested from feces can sometimes prevent contamination of groundwater and streams.

Clearwater barley grown in Tetonia, Idaho may help prevent phosphorus contamination of streams and other riverways.(Photo: Phil Bregitzer, ARS)

Plant geneticists Victor Raboy, Phil Bregitzer and other researchers from ARS Potato and Cereal Research Unit in Aberdeen, Idaho have done a lot of research on this new Clearwater barley.

Raboy used traditional plant breeding processes to change the phosphorus structure of the plant. This work paved the way for low-phytic-acid barley varieties such as barley Clearwater and a shelled barley called "Herald" as well as rice, corn and soybeans with low levels of phytic acid.

Bregitzer, Raboy and ARS plant geneticist Don Obert teamed up in the Clearwater barley study with other researchers at the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, Juliet Windes and James Whitmore. A recent article in Plant Registration has published more details.

According to Bregitzer, Clearwater barley production is similar to that of other market-specific barley. One such market is already exploited aquaculture feed. About 46,000 pounds (1 pound = 450 grams) of Clearwater barley was transported to Vietnam by the American Cereal Council in Washington earlier this year, and Idaho Wheat Commission will check Clearwater barley like a citadel. food portion for farmed fish.

This month, ARS researchers at Hagerman, Idaho, and Bozeman, Mont. Investigations will be conducted in the same way as rainbow trout (rainbow-colored salmon and two reddish trails pulled from the muzzle to the tail).

The plant breeding program of the Idaho Agricultural Experimental Station at Kimberly has been offering Clearwater barley since late 2007. Researchers and plant breeders can contact Bregitzer to get some barley varieties. Clearwater or any other Plant Variety barley variety without charge.