Diviner Spring Barley offers Scottish growers high yields and almighty quality

A new spring malting barley from Secobra Research is making a name for itself, specifically in Scotland. Diviner, added to the 2023-24 list, has shown considerably high potential and has finished this year’s trials on 103% of yield controls for the North region.

Spring Barley Breeder, Paul Bury of Secobra says: “I think Diviner offers all parts of the distilling industry an improvement. It combines many attributes important to all aspects of the whisky industry. It offers higher yields, especially in the North and is quick to ripen. Diviner has very low skinning levels, good standing with a high specific weight. When malted and distilled, Diviner has consistently shown high extract levels and high spirit yield.”

Award winning farmer Scott Campbell, who farms with his father and uncle over 400ha of combinable crops at Kirkton farm, Thainstone north of Aberdeen, grew 36ha of Diviner this year destined for maltsters Boortmalt.

“It wasn’t the easiest of years to be growing spring barley as it wasn’t planted until April 20th which was around three weeks later than normal,” says Scott. “But it quickly became well established and looked a verdant sea of green with very little disease.” 

“Despite the late planting, harvest was completed by the end of August. It performed well with a yield of around 8.6t/ha, which is a considerable increase on our normal yields for other varieties which were around 7.1t/ha.

The skinnings were between 1-3% compared to over 5% for some of the other varieties grown. Nitrogen levels were also low and there was a large amount of straw. Providing all the test results are good from the maltster, we shall certainly be growing it again”