Classifi cation of barley varieties for “České pivo” using discriminant analysis

Abstract

Awarding of the Protected Geographical Indication “České pivo“ (i.e. Czech Beer) led to the necessity of targeted breeding of barley varieties. This study investigated the effect of varieties and growing sites on the key indicators of malting quality with the aim to identify the most suitable selection criteria. Relative extract at 45 °C, β-glucan content in wort, and Kolbach Index were identifi ed as the most suitable parameters. As these parameters are also signifi cantly affected by the environment and residual infl uences, a classifi cation function using discriminant analysis was developed. The function classifi ed successfully 94% of samples regardless of the growing site and thus it may be used as a suitable tool for selection of barley lines that meet the qualitative requirements for the varieties recommended for production of beer with the Protected Geographical Indication “České pivo”.