At the Yli‑Mäkelä farm in Lahti, the spring of 2024 was followed with interest: would Boreal’s Brienne barley be approved as a malting barley? The variety’s cultivation reliability has already impressed the grower.
Last spring, Heikki Mäkelä sowed Brienne barley on ~40 hectares and harvested more than 5,000 kg/ha in autumn. Brienne, a two‑row barley, was not new on the farm — it had already been trialled the previous year on 10 ha.
“The previous summer was extremely dry, and yields were poor regardless of variety — but Brienne still performed better than other malting barleys. Last summer it gave the best yield,” Mäkelä explains.
The farm is ~580 ha of cultivation in Lahti, a few kilometres from the city centre. Main crop: malting barley. Also grown: spring & winter wheat, rye, occasional oats. Grain is delivered to Viking Malt and Fazer Mills. Rotation includes oilseed crops, triticale, peas and occasionally caraway.
Mäkelä follows variety trials closely: “From trials you can see years ahead which candidates look most promising. Brienne’s maturity, yield and kernel size looked good — and we had a hint it might be developed toward malting.”
Brienne was sown in early May; emergence was good. June was hot and dry until Midsummer, reducing kernel size somewhat.
“In hindsight, those who sowed later suffered less — but you can’t know that beforehand.”
At sowing, Brienne received just under 100 kg N+P, following environmental rules. Normally nitrogen is topped up during stem elongation, but due to drought he did not apply more. When rain finally came, the crop was already headed.
“At that point there’s a risk nitrogen ends up in the kernel as protein — and malting barley protein must stay low (10–11.5%). Still, nitrogen mineralised well from the soil.”
Herbicides were sprayed early. Many weeds germinated only after rains in late June–early July, yet the stand stayed reasonably clean.
A fungicide spray was applied at heading. Growth regulators were not used, but Mäkelä notes: Even in a strong Brienne stand, a small dose may help minimise lodging.
Heikki Mäkelä is a third‑generation malting barley grower:
“My grandfather hauled barley by horse to Viking Malt after the war.”
In this region, malting barley is more profitable than feed barley.
Variety selection considers: maturity → to avoid all fields ripening at once
“I try to keep one third of fields in winter cereals so harvest can start early.”
Mäkelä is very satisfied with last summer’s >5,000 kg/ha: “For last summer, that’s really good. There’s more potential if early summer isn’t dry.”
The 2023 Brienne harvest from Yli‑Mäkelä farm is now in malting trials.
Brienne was officially approved as a malting barley in January 2025 — ensuring it will be grown again.
Cultivation detailsVariety: Brienne barleyFarmer: Heikki MäkeläArea: 40 haSoil: fine sand / silt, organic or high‑organicTillage: stubble field 9 May 2023Sowing date: 10 May 2023Seeding rate: 550 seeds/m²Fertilisation: ~94 kg N at sowing, no top‑dressCrop protection: herbicides early June; no regulator; fungicide late JuneHarvest date: 11 September 2023Harvest moisture: 19.3%Average yield: 5,400 kg/haQuality: hlw ~70 kg, >2.5 mm kernels 89%
Huolellisesti valittu jakeluverkostomme kattaa koko maan. Suomessa on yli 400 Borealin lajikkeiden siementä toimittavaa myyntipistettä.Tutustu yhteistyökumppaneidemme edustuslajikkeisiin!
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