Important Quality Attributes of Malt Barley(Hordeum vulgare L.): Effect of Genetics, Environments and Agronomic Factors

Barley has been in use as food and fodder for thousands of years. and also used currently as the most important raw material in malting and brewing. The quality of malt barley is not much satisfied with the requirement by malting and brewing industry worldwide, although the great effort has been devoted to its improvement through breeding and agronomy. The quality of malt barley is involved in many physical and chemical traits, including hydrolytic enzymes. Of them, kernel protein content, beta-amylase activity, beta-glucan content and kernel plumpness have dramatic influence on malting or brewing quality. The expression of these quality parameters varies greatly in genotypes and is easily changed by diverse environments and agronomic practices. This paper reviewed the important role of various parameters influencing the quality of malt barley and the effect of different factors on them.