Trial plots

Each year Bairds and Scotgrain combine forces to hold a Early Evaluation Programme (EEP) which allows on average 25-30 varieties of Barley to be trialled in multiple farm locations throughout Scotland with approx 20 new numbered lines introduced for testing each year.

In partnership with the plant breeders, Scotgrain looks to accelerate the introduction of new varieties to the grower; the program is geared to bringing forward the best available varieties to benefit both growers and the end user.

At Scotgrain our unique relationship with Bairds Malt allows us to take the samples from the trials to the Bairds central laboratory where they can be put through a program of micro malting tests enabling our partnership to offer varieties that Scotgrain and Bairds consider to have potential for introduction into the market. This micro malting programme is run over a series of seasons at incremental levels testing consistency in the field, maltings and distillery.  This allows us to help breeders develop varieties that have true scalability within the industry.