Effects of Batch PEF Processes on Radicle Growth in Barley Grains

The production of malt from barely on an industrial scale can be a time-consuming process that uses large amounts of water. Recent studies have shown that using a pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on food and beverage products like barley has many benefits. A reduction in steeping and germination times of the barley grain during the malting process could increase the production of malt and conserve water. We hypothesized that an increase in specific energy could induce electroporation in the barley cells, which could enhance the imbibition of water during steeping and stimulate embryo growth during germination. We had four different specific energy groups: a control, 15kJ/kg, 20kJ/kg, and 30kJ/kg all treated at a field strength of 1kV/cm. Each group was then steeped for 24 hours and germinated for 72 hours. During the steeping process, moisture content measurements were taken with gravimetric moisture analyzers. After germination, the radicle emergence was measured physically with calipers and then digitally measured using ImageJ software and the SmartRoot plugin.