Journal of Agriculiitrc. [lo May, 1909. 



THE NON-GERMINATION OF CERTAIN SORTS 

 OF 15ARLEY. 



Alfred J. Eicari, D.Sc, Ph.D., F.L.S., Professor of Botany 

 in Melbourne University. 



It is a fact of common knowlt'dgtf that certain sorts of barley are 

 incapable of giving immediate satisfactory germination, even although each 

 grain contains a living embryo and is sound in every way. That fact is 

 sometimes a very serious mafter to maltsters, since the disposal of large 

 quantities of stored grain which has proved unsuitable for malting usually 

 involves considerable loss. Irregular germination is no use to the maltster, 

 but samples showing irregular germination on first testing may after storing 

 for a time give a satisfactory germination. In other cases, ho\ve\er, the 

 grain remains unsatisfactory, and largely refuses to germinate under the 

 conditions required for the making of good malt. Apart from the interest 

 on the capital represented by the stored grain, and from the cost of storage, 

 the germination capacity ultimately begins to decrea.se, so that in the long 

 run such grain may need to be discarded, usually at a low price. The 

 amount of money involved in large businesses may easily run into thousands 

 of pounds. 



Messrs. Barrett Bros., the well-known firm of maltsters, recentlv for- 

 warded samples of grain at mv request which exhibited this i)eculiarity. 

 The grain was a form of Victorian grown Cape barley, apparently thoroughly 

 sound and good. It was harvested in line weather with the thermometer 

 alx)ve 90"* F., and probably ripened ra])idl\ . The only noticeable ]>ecu- 

 liarity about the grain is, however, that the germ appears rather small. 

 The grain has been experimentally tested, both at the malting establishment 

 and at the University. In the first malting tests, after soaking in water 

 at 55-65° F., and then keeping the grains at air temperature only 10 per 

 cent, on the average germinated satisfactoril\ for malting purposes. 



After treatment with chlorinated lime water (45 grains per gallon), about 

 18-20 per cent, gave good germination, another 18-20 per cent, develoj^ed 

 radicles, and the rest failed. Kiln sweating, followed by ordinary floor 

 germination, was tried but was not found effective. Similar soaking in 

 saline solution, or in lime water (10 grains per gallon), had no appreciable 

 effect. 



Mr. Arthur Barrett informs me tliat in some cases after the grain has 

 Ijeen knocked alx)ut in transport or li\ passing through the elevators he 

 has noticed a rise in the germination capacity. It is possible, therefore, 

 that the deficient germination may be due to the palea or scaly covering of 

 the barley hindering the entrv of the water and o-xvgen required b\ the 

 germinating seed. The palea might either be more impermeable or relativelv 

 thicker than usual. When the embryo is of normal size, it soon swells and 

 forcibly distends the palea, but when the emliryo is small and the palea of 

 the same thickness as in an ordinary grain it must exercise a relatively 

 greater binding and compressing force upon the smaller embryo. 



If this is so, stripping off the palea, or its partial solution bv immersing 

 the barley in strong sulphuric acid, or the ac'tion of a high temperature 

 which favours the entry of water and oxygen should all tend to increase 

 the percentage germination. Experiments carried out at the University 

 showed conclusively that this was the case. The experiments were per- 

 formed during a warm spell, the average room -temperature being 25-30" C, 

 so that the results in the germination chamber are but little better than 



