A SW WA Hub-initiated project is developing innovative technology that will support faster market and end user acceptance of improved malting barley varieties.
The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) is building a ‘MultiMalter’ unit which will provide data on optimising malting procedures and significantly shorten the evaluation time for new varieties.
AEGIC is leading the project after successfully applying for an innovation project grant offered through the SW WA Hub, via funding from the Australian Government’s Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program.
AEGIC Barley and Oat Program Manager Jack King said the unit was a streamlined version of a laboratory-scale prototype that could test six different malting protocols at a time, compared with current processes that could test only one protocol at a time.
“This is a huge advantage as each test takes up to seven days to complete,” Mr King said.
“The technology will help address the challenge of supporting our markets to approve new and improved malting barley varieties.”
The MultiMalter unit is being fabricated in AEGIC’s Perth laboratories and is expected to be operational in coming months.
The short-term project is one of 10 diverse innovation projects that have commenced in WA after grants were awarded in 2022 by the SW WA Hub.
The grants were made possible by $2.5 million provided by the Australian Government to the SW WA, enabling it to expand its remit to include agricultural innovation.
