Highland Specialty Grains has a robust breeding program which develops new and improved varieties of barley for forage. We have varieties that are for general licensing by anybody in our network of seed dealers. We also work with associates to develop varieties specifically for their customers.
Our portfolio of forage varieties includes ‘Stockford’, which is a two-row hooded forage barley. Stockford has been a popular choice for many years. Stockford is being replaced by other varieties including Rockford. Rockford is similar to Stockford except it yields more forage, stands better than Stockford, and has improved disease resistance.
Another newer variety for general release is ‘Vaquero’. Like Stockford, it is a 2-row hooded variety. Vaquero is a tall, leafy variety that is an excellent producer of quality forage. Vaquero is a favorite of many forage producers.
Foundation seed is now available for our new Payback forage barley. Payback is a general release facultative 6-row hooded variety. Payback was developed to be an alternative to old 6-row forage varieties such as Westford and Bestford. It will yield better than both of those varieties in dryland environments. In environments with sufficient water and fertilizer, Payback is also capable of producing tremendous yields of high-quality forage.
Proprietary Varieties
Highland Specialty Grains also licenses varieties to associates for their proprietary marketing programs. For example, Redrock is an excellent forage barley which is available for purchase only through Nutrien Ag Solutions. Other varieties which are sold under exclusive license include Eureka, Rampage and Pronto. These are available through Barkley Seed Company and its licensees.
Coming Soon…
Highland Specialty Grains has other forage varieties on the launching pad. Our newest forage variety is Snowford, experimental number MLW319-740. Snowford is a winter forage barley. It has excellent winter hardiness for a fall-planted barley. Snowford was released for seed production in 2026. Certified seed will be available in the fall of 2027.
Also coming soon is a triticale variety, HSG 41. HSG 41 is an awned triticale that has excellent grain and forage yield. It has done well in trials when compared to a triticale such as Merlin. A limited amount of HSG 41 is available for planting. Please let us know if you would like to grow any of these new varieties.