A top-yielding spring barley variety used in beer-making has scooped two prestigious industry achievements in the same month (June 2009).

Two prestigious industry achievements for Quench spring barley should give growers even greater confidence in the variety, says Robert Hiles of breeder Syngenta Seeds.

Quench, from Syngenta Seeds, has just been awarded the prestigious Cereal Cup by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) as well as also progressing to Full Approval for Brewing on the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) variety list.

“Full IBD Approval for brewing means the variety has satisfied the stringent quality criteria demanded by end users,” says Robert Hiles, the Global Malting Barley Business Manager for Syngenta Seeds.

“Equally, the NIAB Cereal Cup is an extremely prestigious award for a variety to receive from a farming industry viewpoint. It is one which has been won by some highly successful varieties in the past.

“We feel truly honoured that the industry has sought to recognise Quench in this way. Quench already has an unbeaten UK treated yield figure among spring malting barley varieties on the HGCA Recommended List for 2009. Now, this latest news should give extra confidence to growers who are already growing it, or those who are looking to grow it for the first time.”

As well as becoming a successful variety in the UK, Mr Hiles says Quench is also enjoying considerable success across Europe – including in Germany, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Hungary. It is even being tested as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and China, he adds.

“This is significant because if a variety is also accepted overseas it can potentially give growers and end users more markets to sell in to.

“As a breeder, our goal is to produce varieties which the industry is enthusiastic about. These types of accolade are a strong indication that we are on the right track.”

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