Barley in Tropical Areas: The Brazilian Experience

Abstract

Domesticated barley, Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare, is poorly adapted to acid, aluminum toxic soils, and warm and wet springs, conditions that normally occur in the world subtropical/tropical areas. Tailoring barley to fit these adverse conditions has challenged researchers and farmers in Brazil since early 1920s. Increasing beer consumption has pushed domestic malt and malting barley production since 1930s. The selection of soil acidity/aluminum toxicity more tolerant varieties in the late 1950s was a major achievement in establishing barley production. The release of the net blotch resistant, high-yielding variety “Cevada BR 2” by Embrapa in 1990 was a cornerstone in the consolidation of a malting barley industry. The adoption of the “Zero Tillage” by mid-1990s in the double-cropping grain production system of the subtropical has significantly improved the yield potential and, consequently, the competitiveness of barley compared to wheat and other competitor cereals. The increased soil production capacity under “no-till” demanded for varieties more adapted to this technology. The release of the disease-resistant, short-strawed, high-yielding varieties BRS 195 (2000), BRS Caue, BRS Elis (2006), and BRS Brau (2010) by Embrapa is the third major event in the crop history, revolutionizing barley production. The widespread use of these improved genotypes has boosted yield and malting quality, making barley even a more competitive crop in this century. Since then, farm productivities over 6,000 kg/ha have been harvested in favorable seasons, increasing the average farm yield from 1,500 kg/ha in the 1980s to 3,500 kg/ha in the 2000s. Varieties BRS 180 (1999), BRS 195 (2000), BRS Sampa (2009), and BRS Manduri (2011) made malting barley production economically feasible also in more tropical environments of the southeast and central-west (cerrados) regions, under irrigation, where yields over 7,000 kg/ha are not difficult to obtain. However, the breakthroughs in yield, quality, and disease resistance have not reduced to a satisfactory level yet, the production/quality instability due to excessive rainfall during harvesting, particularly in ENSO years. On the average, the volume of harvested grain that does not meet the required quality for malting is close to 20%. Besides preharvesting sprouting, increased losses to Fusarium head blight and/or DON contamination, possibly associated with the no-till practice, have been observed and are of concern and need to be addressed for the country’s sustainability of the malting barley industry.