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6 THE RURAL VOICE
Scrap Book
`Naked' barley could make good hog feed
"Naked" or "hulless" barley could
provide a new source of high-quality
feed for swine, says a University of
Guelph researcher.
Prof. Duane Falk, department of
Plant Agriculture, is working with
Profs. Jim Atkinson and Kees de
Lange, department of Animal and
Poultry Science and Brian Rossnagel
of the University of Saskatchewan to
develop hulless barley varieties.
"Hulls are made of poorly
digestible fibre, which dilutes the
nutritional content of barley," says
Falk. "Removing the hulls increases
the barley's protein and energy
concentration, and it becomes easier
to digest."
Barley is grown primarily to feed
cattle in Ontario. A smaller proportion
is grown for feeding pigs; producers
prefer giving pigs corn because of its
higher energy content. But with the
hulls gone and energy and nutrients
more accessible, Falk thinks barley
could compete with corn for swine
feed, especially in regions that are too
cold to grow corn. Hulless barley has
the advantage over corn in that it is
generally much higher in protein
because the hulls don't need to be
removed.
The adherence of barley hulls is
controlled by a single recessive gene.
This makes breeding hulless barley
varieties relatively simple; the no -hull
gene is inserted into existing barley
varieties through back -crossing, and
then tested in the field.
This breeding technology could
soon be applied to insert the hulless
gene into malting barley for the
brewing industry. Hulless malting
barley could increase the extractable
carbohydrates from the malt and allow
more alcohol to be produced per tonne
of malted barley. Another potential
application is to used malted and
unmalted hulless barley in the food
industry for manufacturing products
like flour and flavourings. Hulless
barley can be more efficiently
processed because hulls don't need to
be removed.
The downside of no hulls is extra
exposure. Without its protective coat,
the embryo of the seed is more
vulnerable to damage. So future
research is being targeted to create a
tougher and more tolerant embryo for
even better seed quality.
The research is sponsored by the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs and Ontario Pork.
Research is also underway at
Kemptville College under plant
breeder Garry Hoekstra on hulless
oats. "Naked" oats boast improved
nutritional quality,reduced need for
mechanical removal of indigestible
hulls and reduced agricultural inputs.
They also supply an alternative crop
for areas lacking the resources and
funds to grow corn and soybeans.
"Naked" oats can be used for both
humans and animals.°
— Source: Research Magazine,
University of Guelph
Super raspberry developed in Britain
A British scientist has developed a heavy -weight raspberry that's nearly twice
as big and juicy as any of its rivals.
Dr. Derek Jennings, who heads Medway Fruits in southeastern England in
partnership with Kent fruit grower Simon Brice, set out to develop new varieties
with superior qualities and the capability of extending the cropping season.
Previously, in a career that has extended over 39 years, he had bred raspberries at
the Scottish Crop Research Institute near Dundee, Scotland including the
varieties Glen Cova, Glen Moy and Glen Prosen. He was also the creator of the
Tayberry, a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry.
The new berry is called Terri -Louise and weighs more than seven grams,
compared to the four grams of the average fruit. It was developed by crossing
Jennings' own Glen Moy with a late -cropper called Autumn Bliss. His partner,
Simon Brice now has some eight acres of the new variety.
The new variety is being sold through one of Britain's nationwide retail
outlets and is being market tested in the United States.°
— Source: British Columbia Agri -Digest