SUSTAINABILITY
The development of elite malting barley varieties, sustainable production practices, and Canada’s natural advantages support Canadian malting barley’s reputation as a premium crop.
Climate Adaptation
Variety development is the cornerstone of sustainable barley production and an important tool for adaptation to a changing climate.
Canada’s pool of new malting barley varieties continues to have higher yields, improved lodging resistance, robust disease resistance packages and the ability to mature in the short Canadian growing season. These varietal advances directly address how to produce more barley with fewer inputs.
Once in the farmer’s hands, Canadian malting barley varieties are grown within a diverse cropping rotation, under no-till or reduced tillage conditions, and with the use of advanced technologies to reduce the impacts on air, soil and water health.
Heathy Soils
Healthy soils are the foundation for achieving high barley yields, premium quality, and long-term sustainability of the cropping system.
Zero-till, or conservation tillage, is a soil management practice that involves minimal or no disturbance of the soil. This practice reduces soil erosion, conserves soil moisture and energy, and increases soil organic matter content. As a result of zero-till and conservation tillage, Canadian prairie soils have significantly enhanced soil carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Diversified Crop Rotations
Western Canadian producers strive for cropping diversity and commonly include cereals, pulses, and oilseeds in a 3 or 4-year rotation.
Diversified crop rotations have many benefits including improved crop yields, increased soil organic carbon, insect and disease management, and reduced selection for weed resistance. Barley farmers routinely employ a pulse, wheat, canola and barley rotation over four years.
Innovation and Sustainability
Canadian barley producers understand the importance our buyers place on sustainability and are investing in production practices and technology to support end users.
Precision agriculture technologies, such as GPS-guided equipment and sensor-based systems, enable producers to precisely match the nutrient application to crop needs, reducing nitrogen losses and subsequent N2O emissions. Advancements in data analytics, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence all provide valuable information on soil health, crop performance, and weather patterns further optimizing inputs. Through innovations such as these, producers are mitigating N2O emissions without jeopardizing production.
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