No abstract

Interest has been growing in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars that meet the specialized needs of a diverse marketplace while still providing producers with robust, high‐yielding types. In response to this challenge, the Alberta Barley Commission worked closely with Sanwa Shurui Co., Ltd. and the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) to develop selection criteria in barley for shochu production. Shochu is a popular alcoholic beverage in Japan. As part of the project, ‘Canmore’ (Reg. No. CV‐366, PI 685640; Canadian Food Inspection Agency Reg. No. 7392; Canadian PBR Appl. No. 5237), a two‐rowed, hulled, spring barley for food and general purpose uses, was developed. Canmore was derived using single seed descent from one F2 seed to a F5 headrow. It was tested as J02039005 in FCDC trials from 2004 to 2012 and as TR10694 in Prairie Recommending Committee for Oat and Barley trials in 2010 and 2011. It was registered in Canada as Canmore. Canmore has excellent pearling properties, starch content, and alcohol yield for shochu production. It is resistant to surface‐borne and loose smuts, moderately resistant to scald and spot form of net blotch, and intermediately resistant to common root rot, spot blotch, and Fusarium head blight. Canmore has good potential in the food barley market for shochu as well as good yield, disease resistance, and agronomic traits for general production in the northern Great Plains.