Rapid and Objective Methods for the Estimation of Pregermination and Viability in Barley¹

Abstract

This article discusses developmental approaches in pursuit of rapid, objective methods for estimating pregermination and viability in barley and provides details of a method for each. The assay for pregermination consists of incubating an aliquot of barley extract with dilute starch and, after 30 min, testing for residual starch using iodine. Viability was estimated spectrophotometrically on propanol extracts of barley grists slurried with 1% 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The methods provide reliable estimates of a barley's germination potential at the time of testing and predict what it will be after several months in storage. Accordingly, these methods could be useful in barley selection. Pregermination, viability, and storage time affect germination. Barleys that pregerminate at harvest could germinate again in the malthouse, but their ability to do so decreases as storage time increases. The rate of decrease appears to be related to viability and to the degree of pregermination. Canadian malting barley varieties (two- and six-rowed) are susceptible to pregermination and hence loss of germination in storage. The adverse effects of poor germination on malt quality were studied and results of a pilot-scale malting trial reported.

• Barley
• Pregermination
• Viability
• Longevity
• Selection techniques

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