Abstract
In order to obtain information for preparation of good quality malt, changes in endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in barley during malting were studied. When barley was steeped aerobically, the ABA level in the barley kernel greatly decreased. The activity level of the ABA metabolic system linked to the start of germination was estimated. The level of ABA increased during the germination stage with the development of each embryonic organ. On the basis of these results, the effects on malt quality of ABA plus gibberellic acid (GA3) added to barley during malting were examined. With appropriate combinations of ABA and GA3, malt with good quality was obtained in high yield.
