ABSTRACT
The value of a barley crop is determined primarily by the dry matter production. Price adjustments are generally based on test weight, presence of impurities of different kinds, and on protein content in certain cases. Sprout damage is only considered as one of the many quality deficiencies, such as the presence of green kernels, shrivelled kernels, insect damage, moulding etc. Against this background pre-harvest sprouting is of very limited importance for barley growers and for the grain handling authorities. For the end users of barley, however, sprouted kernels may represent serious quality defects affecting the production of products. Based on the available literature on the subject, it would appear that is is the physiologists, geneticists and plant breeders together with a few brewers who are most concerned with the pre-harvest sprouting problem.
