IBC 403 Barley Extension Nurseries
The Idaho Extension Barley Nurseries evaluate new barley varieties and advanced lines, focusing on traits like yield, disease resistance, and quality. Established in fall 2024 across multiple regions, these nurseries support research and grower education through field tours and reporting. The goal is to improve barley production, profitability, and competitiveness by sharing the latest research findings.
Anticipated Benefits / Expected Outcomes and Transfer of Information / Technology: Idaho barley producers will receive the most recent information on variety performance to improve production efficiency, increase their economic returns and maintain their competitiveness. Results from the nurseries are communicated to growers in cereal schools as well as news releases, progress reports, bulletins, newsletters, internet websites and mass media.
Dr. Juliet Marshall, Ext. Crop Mgmt. Specialist, (SC and E Idaho) jmarshall@uidaho.edu; Dr. Kurtis L. Schroeder, Moscow, Ext. Crop Mgmt. Specialist (N Idaho) kschroeder@uidaho.edu
IBC 413 Evaluation of Elite Barley Lines in Northern Idaho
This project supports the USDA-ARS barley breeding program by managing elite winter and spring barley nurseries in northern Idaho. Located in Greencreek and Genesee, these nurseries evaluate adaptable, high-quality barley lines, providing critical agronomic data and enabling the development of superior cultivars suited to northern Idaho’s unique climate. The effort enhances regional breeding success and promotes barley production.
Anticipated Benefits/Expected Outcomes:
This funding will allow the continued presence of an advanced barley evaluation program in north Idaho that will support the efforts of the Aberdeen barley breeding program. This work will aid in identifying breeding lines that are adapted to the northern Idaho environment, accelerating the development and deployment of new varieties in the region.
Dr. Kurtis L. Schroeder, Associate Professor of Cropping Systems Agronomy kschroeder@uidaho.edu
In 2013, the Idaho Barley Commission voted to establish an Endowed Barley Agronomist position with the University of Idaho (UI) through a $1 million grower-funded endowment and to increase the barley assessment rate to $0.03/cwt to be able to fund the endowment and needed barley research. Through establishing this position with the Idaho Barley Commission, the University of Idaho has been able to attract a top scientist to specialize in barley production related projects to support Idaho barley growers and the overall Idaho barley industry. The endowment was fully funded by IBC in 2018. The current IBC/UI Endowed Barley Research Agronomist is Dr. Jared Spackman, housed primarily at the Aberdeen UI Research Station.
IBC 430 Small Grains Research Report
This document emphasizes the importance of the Small Grains Research Report (SGR) in Idaho’s cereal industry, serving as a key resource for growers on new varieties, agronomic practices, and pest management. The SGR is distributed free of charge at Cereal School events to promote attendance and facilitate research dissemination. Despite electronic availability, many print copies remain unused, and past distributions have been fully completed. Printing costs are covered by sponsorship from industry partners and commodity commissions. Providing the SGR free of charge continues to incentivize grower attendance and supports effective communication among researchers, extension staff, industry stakeholders, and producers.
Anticipated Benefits / Expected Outcomes and Technology / Transfer of Information:
Idaho barley producers will receive the most recent barley variety performance information to improve production efficiency, increase economic returns, and maintain their competitiveness. Information on variety performance is shared with growers and industry personnel through cereal schools, published materials, wheat nurseries, demonstrations, field tours and the Internet.
Dr. Juliet Marshall, Ext. Crop Mgmt. Specialist (SC and E Idaho) jmarshall@uidaho.edu; Dr. Sidrat Abdullah – Research Specialist; Tod Shelman – Scientific Aide II; Linda Beck – Technician; Justin Hatch – Extension Educator; Sarah Windes – Wheat Quality Lab Manager
IBC 457 Support Scientist Funding – Education for Idaho Barley Production in Northern Idaho: Extension Cereal Nurseries
This research project aims to sustain barley variety trials and extension activities in northern Idaho by securing funding for a key support scientist, as the position is no longer university-funded. The project involves multi-location field trials in collaboration with USDA-ARS, providing essential performance data on new barley cultivars. These trials help assess local adaptability, support variety release decisions, and promote barley as a viable cereal crop. The efforts enhance research and extension services, benefiting Idaho barley producers and the broader agricultural community by providing current, location-specific cultivar information and strengthening industry partnerships.
Anticipated Benefits/Expected Outcomes and Impacts/Transfer of Information:
This funding will allow the successful extension variety evaluation program to improve its services for the agriculture industry in northern Idaho. Data generated by the variety testing program is a valuable component of variety release and provides performance data on new barley varieties for
growers’ use. Adequate funding of the research specialist position is required to ensure that plots are adequately managed, and data is collected and processed in a timely manner.
Dr. Kurtis L. Schroeder, Associate Professor of Cropping Systems Agronomy kschroeder@uidaho.edu
IBC 468 Evaluating freeze tolerance of winter barley genotypes with diverse genetic backgrounds
This research aims to explore the genetic and physiological basis of freeze tolerance in winter barley to improve its winter hardiness. By studying morphological traits like stomatal size and physiological responses such as dehydrin protein expression across tolerant and susceptible genotypes, the project seeks to identify key characteristics linked to freeze tolerance. Conducted in controlled environments, the study aims to validate these traits for use in breeding programs to develop more freeze-resistant winter barley, ultimately reducing yield losses from winter freeze damage.
Anticipated Benefit/Expected Outcomes: We expect to validate the association of small cell sizes with freeze tolerance in this different group of winter barley genotypes. We also expect differences in dehydrin expressions between winter barley genotypes. These plant characteristics will be further investigated for molecular biology, which will facilitate breeding for winter hardiness improvement in winter barley and reduce yield losses due to freezing winter temperatures.
Xi Liang, Cropping Systems Agronomist, Aberdeen Research & Education Center, University of Idaho. Gongshe Hu, Research Geneticist and Barley/Oat Breeder, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID.
IBC 485 Precipitated Calcium Carbonate to Remediate Acidic Eastern Idaho Soils
This research project investigates effective strategies for improving soil pH in acid-affected agricultural areas of eastern Idaho through lime application, focusing on precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). Field trials will determine optimal PCC rates, application timing, and duration of soil pH correction, while evaluating tools like electrical conductivity sensors to develop variable-rate lime prescriptions. The project aims to enhance soil health, crop productivity, and sustainability by providing producers with research-based recommendations and tools for managing soil acidification.
Anticipated Benefits, Expected Outcomes and Impacts, and Transfer of Information: We intend to host annual field days at the field sites to demonstrate the treatments and present project results. We will invite local producers, agronomists, University researchers, and Extension Educators to attend the field days, to share their observations and experiences from managing acidic soils, and provide education on topics related to soil acidification, lime rates, lime products, and estimating lime requirements. We will develop three new/updated Extension bulletins: PCC as a soil amendment, understanding liming requirements of acidic soils, and site specific liming by utilizing variable rate lime maps. We will also publish the results as a peer reviewed journal article.
Dr. Jared Spackman, Assistant Professor, UI Aberdeen jspackman@uidaho.edu ; Tom Jacobsen, UI Fremont Cty; Justin Hatch, UI Caribou Cty; Joseph Sagers- UI Jefferson and Clark Cty; Jared Gibbons- UI Madison Cty, Kurt Schroeder, Associate Professor, UI Moscow kschroeder@uidaho.edu
IBC 487 Malt Barley Yield and Grain Metabolite Response to Nitrogen and Sulfur Grown Outside the Snake River Plain
This research investigates the impact of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization on malt barley grown in eastern Idaho. It evaluates different fertilizer sources and rates, including controlled-release and stabilizer products, to optimize crop yield, quality, and grain metabolite profiles. Conducted over three years, the study aims to improve nutrient management strategies, enhance malt quality, and provide research-based recommendations for producers, with results shared through publications, presentations, and extension events.
Anticipated Benefits, Expected Outcomes and Impacts, and Transfer of Information: The data generated from this study will be used to build a database of barley responses to N and S fertilization. This data, in coordination with other researchers’ projects, will be used to update the UI’s spring barley production guide. We anticipate that this project will generate at least 1 peer-reviewed journal article on the agronomic response of barley to N and S fertilization and 1 or more articles on how N and S fertilization affects malt quality and grain metabolite products. The results from this trial will be shared at professional meetings (such as the Tri-Societies meetings, Western Nutrient Management Conference), Extension events (Cereal Schools, field days), and Extension publications. The raw dataset will be published in a publicly available data repository to ensure the longevity of the dataset and its availability for future research applications.
Dr. Jared Spackman, Assistant Professor jspackman@uidaho.edu ; Jacob Bevan, Barley Agronomy Research Assistant; Grant Loomis, Blaine County Extension Educator; Justin Hatch, Caribou CountyExtension Educator; Jason Walling, USDA ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit Wisconsin; Sarah Whitcomb, USDA ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit Wisconsin
IBC 493 Optimizing Nitrogen Inputs to Reduce Scope 3 Emissions in Barley Production in Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota
This project investigates how nitrogen fertilizer rate, source, and placement affect malt barley yield, quality, and environmental impact in Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. It aims to optimize nitrogen use efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve sustainability by testing various fertilizer treatments—surface and banded applications—across multiple locations and barley varieties. The research results will update production guidelines, enhance nutrient management strategies, and be shared through scientific publications, extension events, and publicly accessible data, benefiting barley growers and the broader industry.
Anticipated Benefits / Expected Outcomes /Transfer of Information / Technology: The data generated from this study will expand our dataset of barley responses to N sources. The
information will provide growers with a better understanding of how fertilizer rate, source, and placement impact volatilization and GHG emissions and help them improve their marketability by highlighting the sustainability of their farms. In coordination with other researchers’ projects, this data will be used to update the UI’s spring barley production guide and potentially a more comprehensive guide for barley production in the northern US. We anticipate that this project will generate at least 1 peer-reviewed journal article on the agronomic response of barley to N fertilizer sources and 1 or more articles on ammonia volatilization. The results from this trial will be shared at professional meetings (such as the Tri-Societies meetings, Western Nutrient Management Conference, North Central Nutrient Management Conference), Extension events (Cereal Schools, field days), and Extension publications. The raw dataset will be published in a publicly available data repository to ensure its longevity and availability for future research applications.
Dr. Jared Spackman, Assistant Professor UI jspackman@uidaho.edu ; Brady Goettl, Assistant Professor NDSU; Joseph Jensen, Assistant Professor MSU
IBC 494 Viruses in Idaho barley – prevalence and new rapid detection methods
This project aims to identify and monitor viruses affecting Idaho barley, focusing on detecting new strains and improving diagnostic methods. Using high-throughput sequencing and PCR assays, the study will survey virus prevalence, validate rapid tests, and assess soil-borne wheat mosaic virus presence. Findings will enhance virus detection, inform management strategies, and be shared with industry stakeholders through extension efforts, ultimately helping growers reduce virus-related yield losses.
Anticipated Benefits / Expected Outcomes: This project will directly help growers and consultants in understanding the problem of wheat viruses. It will also have additional benefits in clarifying the symptoms of various wheat diseases and disorders in the region.
Transfer of Information / Technology: A presentation on the project will be given in late 2025 at the Idaho Association of Plant Protection meeting. In addition, a SBWMV bulletin will be produced as well as a sperate bulletin on diagnosing virus diseases which will also give information on sampling and testing. At the end of the project a paper is expected to be written on the research as well as an overall extension bulletin on viruses present in Idaho wheat and barley.
James Woodhall, University of Idaho, Parma Research and Extension Center 208-722-6701, jwoodhall@uidaho.edu; Juliet Marshall, University of Idaho, Idaho Falls Research-and Extension Center; jmarshall@uidaho.edu
IBC 495 Evaluating Resistance and Tolerance of Spring Wheat and Barley Varieties: A New Approach to Current Scoring Categories
This project aims to improve the assessment of cereal cyst nematode (CCN) resistance in Idaho barley by developing a standardized core sampling method. Using soil cores, root analysis, and molecular techniques, the new protocol seeks to provide more accurate, efficient, and consistent measurement of CCN populations and plant resistance. Results will enhance resistance categorization, support breeding programs, and help producers better manage nematode damage in barley and wheat crops.
Anticipated Benefits / Expected Outcomes:
The results from the 2025 experiment will confirm the efficacy and accuracy of the new assessment protocol for the evaluation of resistance in barley varieties. This project is expected to offer improved accuracy and faster processing. Combination resistance and tolerance data and comparing results with the assessment results from wheat varieties allow us to revise resistance categorization for two important cereal crops, barley and wheat. Additionally, the standardized core sampling method will enable the integration of quantitative molecular analysis data of tolerance and resistance from this year. Comparing the results with the previous studies will help us revise the resistance categorization. The collected root in the proposed technique is associated with amount of soil in all plots and the samples can be incorporated in quantitative molecular analysis, which includes nematode’s DNA extraction from root/soil and using quantitative PCR for the comparative assessment of the associated population.
Transfer of Information / Technology: Idaho barley producers will receive updated information on the susceptibility of wheat varieties to CCN, along with descriptive variety performance data specific to Idaho climate.
Dr. Poria Ensafi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Nematology, pensafi@uidaho.edu; Dr. Juliet Marshall, EXT. Crop Mgmt. Specialist (SC and E Idaho), jmarshall@uidaho.edu; Nadejda Poiras, PhD Student Nematology; Tod Shelman, Scientific Aide II; Linda Jones, Technical Aide II
Development of Spring and Winter Malting Barleys for the Intermountain west
Gongshe Hu
USDA-ARS
National Small Grains Research Facility
Aberdeen, ID 83210
The Aberdeen barley breeding program have completed all the breeding goal in terms of advancing all the materials, evaluation on all the nurseries in the same locations as before, and utilization of New Zealand winter nursery for extra growing season. New crosses were made across malt barley, special trait barley et al. we kept all the collaborations with other breeding and disease evaluation programs.
Major results in 2024:
Detailed Report on Objectives, Methodology and Results
1). The winter line of 11ARS652-7 passed AMBA pilot scale test. It showed significantly better yield than all the winter variety checks (Table 1 and Table 2). With good test weight and lodging resistance.
3). Some special trait elite lines are promising in the preliminary tests. Those include NO-GN, Lox-free, and Hulless malting (Table 3).
4). Winter food barley elite lines of 12ARS777-1 and 12ARS777-2 still hold advantage of high beta-glucan (8-10%) and high protein (14-16) with good winter survival rate. The yield testing from more recent year 2023-2024 season showed comparable yield to Buck and Upspring (Table 4).
Table 1. Agronomic performance of winter malting lines with checks from Idaho locations 2016-2021.
| Line | Yield
(Bu/A) |
Test
Weight (Lbs/Bu) |
Head
(Julian) |
Height
(In) |
Lodge
(0-9) |
Winter
Survival (%) |
| Locations: | 16 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 8 |
| Charles | 135.5 d | 50.7 d | 148.2 | 32.6 c | 1.5 a | 85.7 a |
| Endeavor | 136.2 d | 52.5 b | 151.1 | 36.9 a | 1.8 a | 80.6 b |
| Lightning | 138.5 c | 51.9 c | 146.4 | 32.2 d | 1.9 a | 87.9 a |
| Thunder | 147.8 b | 52.2 b | 148.3 | 32.2 d | 1.1 a | 86.7 a |
| Wintmalt | 145.4 c | 51.5 c | 152.0 | 35.2 b | 0.7 b | 90.7 a |
| 11ARS652-7 | 165.6a | 53.3 a | 150.5 | 37.5 a | 0.7 b | 91.9 a |
| 13ARS526-8 | 156.0b | 53.4 a | 149.1 | 32.4 c | 1.0 a | 89.8 a |
| Grand Mean | 147.9 | 52.4 | 149.3 | 34.0 | 1.2 | 87.9 |
| LSD(α=0.05) | 9.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 8.5 |
| C.V. | 8.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 111.2 | 9.6 |
Table 2. Additional field evaluation data 2023-2024.
| Line | Yield | ||||
| ABS | AB | HAZ | KIM | mean | |
| Charles | 130.6 | 171.9 | 99.7 | 202.6 | 151.2 |
| Endeavor | 104.4 | 162.7 | 85.7 | 205.2 | 139.5 |
| Lightning | 116.7 | 151.8 | 95.1 | 192.4 | 139.0 |
| Thunder | 97.8 | 164.9 | 119.5 | 197.7 | 145.0 |
| Wintmalt | 104.4 | 154.9 | 92.7 | 198.6 | 137.7 |
| 11ARS652-7 | 139.3 | 189.3 | 111.1 | 216.4 | 164.0 |
| 13ARS526-8 | 125.1 | 194.7 | 103.8 | 218.8 | 160.6 |
Table 3. Specialty elite lines in the breeding program.
| Line | Specialty
Trait |
Yield
(irrigated) |
Head | Height | Lodge | TWT |
| Loc# | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| 12ARS033-5 | Lox-free | 131.2 | 168.8 | 36.7 | 1.9 | 52.1 |
| 18ARS117-16 | NO-GN | 136.5 | 168.2 | 29.7 | 0.3 | 52.3 |
| 18ARS117-46 | NO-GN | 128.6 | 168.9 | 28.6 | 1.2 | 52.0 |
| 17ARS109-6 | Hulless | 107.2 | 171.2 | 35.9 | 1.7 | 57.4 |
| 12ARS034-6 | Lox-free | 126.6 | 168.6 | 39.8 | 4.2 | 51.5 |
| ABI Eagle | check | 140.0 | 168.9 | 34.2 | 1.5 | 51.2 |
| ABI Voyager | check | 133.6 | 168.3 | 35.7 | 2.3 | 51.4 |
| AC Metcalfe | check | 124.7 | 168.4 | 37.5 | 3.3 | 52.1 |
| CDC Copeland | check | 134.4 | 169.7 | 37.8 | 2.5 | 52.5 |
| M179 | check | 131.6 | 170.9 | 30.0 | 0.2 | 50.9 |
| M69 | check | 134.5 | 171.6 | 32.3 | 1.8 | 49.9 |
| MERIT 57 | check | 131.3 | 169.8 | 36.3 | 2.3 | 50.3 |
Table 4. Yield data for winter food barley elite lines from four locations in 2023-2024 season.
| Line | Heading date
(Julian) |
Plant height
(in) |
Lodge
(0-9) |
Yield
(Bu/A) |
Protein
(%) |
Beta-glucan
(%) |
| Buck | 145 | 23 | 3 | 124 | 12.7 | 4.5 |
| Upspring | 146 | 21 | 1 | 105 | 14.5 | 7.4 |
| 12ARS777-1 | 145 | 21 | 3 | 115 | 14.1 | 7.7 |
| 12ARS777-2 | 144 | 38 | 2 | 123 | 15.1 | 7.8 |
Project Personnel: Hu Gongshe, Chris Evans, Sherry Ellberg, and Kathy Satterfield.
PROJECT TITLE
Evaluating the performance of specialty inputs on malt barley in the Palouse
PRIMARY PERSONNEL
Megan Townsend megan@cropmatters.com PO Box 554
Crop Matters LLC (559) 907-8729 Potlatch ID 83855
www.cropmatters.com
JUSTIFICATION/RATIONALE
In recent years, much industry advancement and interest has revolved around biostimulant products. A widely-accepted definition of biostimulants is as follows: “substances and/or microorganisms whose function when applied to plants or the rhizosphere is to stimulate natural processes to benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency tolerance to abiotic stress, and/or crop quality, independently of its nutrient content.” Biostimulants incorporate a wide range of product types, including: humic and fulvic acids, amino acids, seaweed and plant extracts, beneficial bacteria and fungi, proteins, and enzymes. Some cropping systems have integrated biostimulants into their standard practices. Much of the product technology is new, however, and has rarely, if ever, been applied to dryland barley production.
OBJECTIVES
This study will have two main objectives: (1) evaluate multiple fertility, plant growth regulators, biostimulants, and biological products on yield and quality and (2) evaluate plant growth regulators, calcium, and silica on lodging, yield, and quality.
METHODS/PLAN OF WORK
Crop Matters will establish a trial in conventional malt barley in the Palouse region of Idaho. Twenty-four treatments will be replicated six times in 5’ by 20’ plots arranged in a split-block randomized complete block design:
ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Upon conclusion of this work, barley growers will have a strong and unbiased data set. They will be able to evaluate biostimulant, biological, PGR, and specialty fertility product categories in general, and will also have information on specific available products. The conclusions of this research will help growers make the economic decision of whether to invest in these additional products. This trial may also help growers to decide which product to use, and which application method/timing is most suitable.
.