Alternative economic and technically viable crop species are very needed for the production systems under irrigation in the Cerrado of central Brazil. Barley BRS 180 released by Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Trigo and Embrapa-Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária dos Cerrados in 1999, the first adapted cultivar developed for the region, potentializes malting barley as new crop alternative for the growers in the Cerrados. BRS 180 has shown high yield potential, lodging resistance and low protein levels, fulfilling the demands of both growers and malting barley industries. The observed yield potential of BRS 180 was up to 8,920 kg/ha in experimental plots and 6,000 kg/ha in commercial farm fields.
