Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2026, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (5): 1024-1034.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20250467

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Advances on studies in major malt quality traits of malting barley

GE Fangying1,2,3(), YUE Wenhao2,3, CAI Kangfeng2,3, SONG Xiujuan1,2,3, WANG Junmei2,3, LIU Lei2,3,*()   

  1. 1 College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
    2 Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
    3 National Barley Improvement Center, Hangzhou 310021, China
  • Received:2025-06-29 Online:2026-05-25 Published:2026-06-02

Abstract:

Barley malt, as the core raw material in beer brewing, directly determines beer quality. In this review, the composition of malt quality traits was systematically summarized, including malting extract yield, diastatic power, Kolbach index, α-amino nitrogen content, and wort viscosity, complex interactions among these traits were revealed, and critical impact factors affecting malt quality were analyzed. Moreover, effective strategies for malt quality improvement were further discussed. In genetic improvement, recent advances in the mapping and cloning of quantitative trait loci (QTL)/genes associated with malt quality traits were reviewed. Integration of multi-omics technologies and intelligent breeding strategies was proposed. Through decoding molecular networks underlying quality formation, stress-tolerant and quality-stable barley varieties could be directionally cultivated, thereby improving the yield and quality of barley in China and reducing dependence on imported malting barley.

Key words: malting barley, malt quality, genetic characteristics, environmental factors, processing techniques, quantitative trait locus (QTL)

CLC Number: