Malt Quality Evaluation of Exotic Barley Germplasm Grown in Northern Hills: A Non-Traditional Malt Area

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivation in recent past has got boost in India due to its industrial use in malting and brewing. The areas like northern hills having relatively cooler temperatures during grain development phase with longer duration are considered suitable for malt barley production. However, it is believed that malt quality gets adversely affected by the occurrence of rains during maturity of the crop in the hills. Thirty germplasm cultivated at Hawalbagh, Almora, Uttarakhand were analyzed for malt traits. Though these were not bred for malt barley but the malt quality was found highly desirable for a number of malt traits suggesting that hills can be promising areas for malt barley cultivation.