Farmers may one day be able to feed their cattle greenfeed barley, then shine up their pick-ups with a product made from wax shaved off the barley.
Mario Therrien, a barley breeder with Agriculture Canada in Brandon, Man., has found some mutant strains of barley with a heavy wax cuticle.
The qualities of the cuticle seem similar to carnuba wax, worth $3 per kilogram, unprocessed.
Around North America, researchers are turning their efforts to using barley for non-traditional purposes, like food, nutraceuticals and industrial products.
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Therrien is also looking at polysaccharides that can be extracted from hulless barley, and a variety that “can really kick some butt” in controlling weeds in perennials.
In September, the American Association of Cereal Chemists will host a symposium on food uses of barley, including speakers from Canada on hulless barley, barley beta-glucan in food and quality requirements for the Japanese food barley market.
Producers, researchers and processors will talk about what needs to be done to get the crop into these new markets.
Afterward, the Canadian International Grains Institute is running a special program on food barley.
Most of the participants will be from Japan, where barley is used in food staples, rice extenders and nutraceuticals.
Dave Hickling said the grain commission wants to invite Canadian researchers to learn more about what potential customers look for in quality and varieties.
Michael Brophy, of the Canadian Wheat Board, said the Japanese food market is a small one for Canadian barley now, but there is potential to expand.
