AGRICULTURE GENETICS & GENOMICS Collaborative pipeline to bring barley to Alabama
The team identified barley plants with the best yield averages and disease resistance. The best varieties averaged around 90 bush- els an acre and displayed the best tolerance for the Alabama climate. Four varieties were planted in November 2022, representing the second round of variety trials. In addition to the original variety trial sites, candidate varieties will also be planted at collaborating farms throughout the state. The production and success of each barley variety will be monitored throughout several growing seasons. Eventually, the best barley varieties will be released to farmers to grow on their land. Another important part of the pipeline is helping connect farmers with potential customers for their barley. The collaborative team partnered with Old South Malt House in Cullman, Alabama, to process barley from the field trials and distribute it to breweries for brewing trials. The team is working with multiple Alabama breweries to give them access to locally-grown barley. It will take time to determine the best way for local brewers to figure out the best way to process the grains, so the perfect Alabama barley beer has yet to be made. This successful model (shown below) of collaboration between genomic scientists, academic institutions, farmers, businesses, and consumers will allow other crops to be developed in similar ways to barley. Additionally, this model can be used nationwide to bring new crops to local and regional markets. n
Agriculture has long played a vital role in southern states’ economies and livelihoods. However, the number of thriving crops and genetic diversity of plants available for southern growers is limited. Although barley was historically grown in the south, most of the barley in the U.S. today is grown in Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Washing- ton, Oregon, and California. In the Midwest, barley is harvested from late July to the end of September. Because the south has a mild winter climate, it is possible barley could be grown in states like Alabama over winter between farmers’ other crop rotations. Leaning into their past experiences with barley, members of HudsonAlpha’s Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture, along with expert collaborators at Auburn University and Alabama A&M University, are developing a pipeline to bring Alabama farmers new crops like barley, chosen specifically for Alabama’s climate and soil conditions. The quest to create barley tailored to grow in Alabama began in 2021 when the team was awarded a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. In early November of that year, fifty-three varieties of barley acquired from collaborators at North Dakota State University were planted at field stations across Alabama. The plants were phenotyped throughout their growing season and harvested during the summer of 2022.
Get diverse seeds from germplasm collections and plant across the state. First crops = beans and barley!
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Diverse crops grown from new seeds tailored to Alabama’s land, temperatures and growing conditions. Crops deliver promising new revenue streams for farms, restaurants, and food industry with a model for continued genetic improvement.
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HudsonAlpha, Auburn, AL A&M test seeds and consult with agronomists, farmers, food users, and other agricultural experts on what plants work best.
Helping create a diverse, sustainable & supportive agricultural economy for
Farmers continue to grow over the seasons and report back on findings to researchers.
HudsonAlpha takes plant DNA, reads it, and looks at its code to understand the plant’s genome.
Farmers sow next generation of crops and share with partners such as food and beverage producers.
Select plants based on field and genetics work to fuel next generation of breeding crops and improve production of these crops.
A pipeline to diversify Alabama crops
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