Higher barley yields per acre, along with preferred malting characteristics, are possible through properly balancing nitrogen fertilizer applications with prior cropping and soil management patterns. The recently introduced 6-rowed malting varieties, Larker and Traill, showed the greatest nitrogen yield response, and malting quality was least adversely affected by the highest rate used. The release of the 2-rowed malting variety, Firlbecks III, along with Larker and Traill, provides northern California barley growers with a choice of malting varieties which are directly competitive with the high-yielding feed variety, Wocus. All are significantly higher yielding than the formerly popular 2-rowed Hannchen. Stiff-strawed Firlbecks III minimizes the lodging problem so characteristic of the older, 2-rowed Hannchen. Larker and Traill may shatter if grown in districts with windstorms at harvesttime.

Cooperation in the malting quality determinations was received from USDA Barley and Malt Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin; Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Great Western Malting Co., Vancouver, Washington; and Newell Grain Growers Association, Tulelake, California.