ABSTRACT
As the malting process involves the germinating of barley grains, it follows that malting quality barley must possess a high germination at time of processing. Pre-harvest sprouting is one of the factors which contributes to the loss of germinative capacity in bulk grain storage. The link between visibly sprouted grain and storage longevity is well evidenced in Queensland barley. The link between non-visibly sprouted grain and storage longevity is not so clear. Presented in this paper are, the current methods used to segregate sprout damaged grain, the developed storage quality monitoring systems, historical commercial data, varietal differences, and the economics of sprout damage in Queensland barley crops.
