Hulless Barley: A New Era for Sustainable Cereal Use

For centuries, barley has been a pillar of human civilization — a hardy crop capable of thriving where other cereals fail. Yet among its many forms, one stands out as an overlooked treasure: hulless barley, also called naked barley. Long cultivated in parts of Tibet, Ethiopia, and northern Africa, it is now emerging as a modern solution to food sustainability challenges.

Unlike common barley, hulless barley naturally loses its outer husk during threshing. This small difference simplifies processing, saves energy, and unlocks new culinary and industrial possibilities. As researchers like Bhatty (1999) first pointed out, removing the hull at harvest transforms barley from a feed crop into a versatile food grain. Today, scientists see it as a bridge between tradition and innovation — a grain of the past ready for the future.

What Makes Hulless Barley Different?

Hulless barley’s uniqueness begins at the genetic level. A single mutation in the nud gene, located on chromosome 7HL, prevents the formation of the thin lipid layer that normally cements the hull to the grain surface. Without this “natural glue,” the husk separates easily during threshing, leaving a smooth, bare kernel. What might seem like a small genetic detail actually marks a major technological breakthrough — a natural “built-in processing step” that eliminates the need for mechanical dehulling. For farmers and processors alike, this means lower energy costs, less grain loss, and simplified handling.

As noted by Bhatty (1999), the hull of conventional barley makes up about 10–13% of the grain’s weight and is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and silica — materials that contribute bulk but virtually no nutrition. Once this inedible layer is gone, every gram of the grain becomes usable food. Removing the hull increases the proportion of digestible nutrients such as starch, protein, minerals, and β-glucan, and improves the grain’s uniformity for milling and product formulation.

Beyond nutrient density, hulless barley also stands out for its superior biochemical balance. According to Shaveta et al. (2019), naked varieties typically contain 11–15% protein, 4–7% β-glucan, and a more favorable amino acid profile — particularly higher levels of lysine, the essential amino acid often limiting in cereals. This makes hulless barley an exceptional base for balanced, plant-based foods.

New breeding lines are also showing higher extractable β-glucan and lower lipid oxidation, which enhance both the nutritional and functional quality of the flour. As Meints & Hayes (2020) report, modern hulless barley varieties exhibit improved kernel hardness and milling stability, resulting in finer, more consistent flours suitable for bakery and functional food applications.

In short, hulless barley is more than just a grain without a hull — it’s a nutritionally concentrated, naturally efficient, and technologically smart cereal ready for the future of sustainable food.

You can learn more about barley’s fascinating evolution in The Origin and Domestication of Barley.

A Simpler Path from Field to Food

Processing is where hulless barley truly shines.
Covered barley must first pass through abrasive or impact dehullers that consume electricity, wear down machinery, and inevitably break a portion of the kernels. Each ton processed generates additional costs in energy, maintenance, and material loss. In contrast, hulless barley skips this costly step entirely, moving straight from harvest to cleaning and milling — a natural advantage that translates into both environmental and economic gains.

According to Bhatty (1999), removing the hull fraction can improve bulk density by nearly 25 %, which lowers transportation and storage costs while simplifying the downstream process. Because the grain is naturally naked, there is no need for pearling or polishing — steps that, in covered barley, not only increase energy demand but also strip away the nutrient-rich outer layers of the kernel. This means minimal processing, maximal preservation of value.

Detailed milling studies show that hulless barley yields a flour extraction rate up to 15 % higher than hulled types — especially for varieties with moderate β-glucan content — while producing a fine, uniform flour suitable for bread, biscuits, and pasta. High β-glucan cultivars tend to generate slightly lower flour yields because their cell walls resist grinding, but they deliver exceptional nutritional density and viscosity, making them ideal for functional foods and beveragescchem.1999.76.5.589.

As Shaveta et al. (2019) point out, the reduced mechanical stress during milling also helps preserve delicate bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, tocotrienols, and antioxidants that are often lost with the hull. These compounds contribute to the antioxidant potential and longer shelf life of hulless barley flours and derived products. Moreover, hulless barley can be milled using the same equipment as wheat, enabling seamless integration into existing food-processing lines without the need for specialized machinery or major investment — a key advantage for small mills, bakeries, and cooperatives in developing regions.

This processing simplicity supports local value chains: small enterprises can transform hulless barley into flour, flakes, or instant porridges using modest equipment and low energy inputs. Farmers in Ethiopia, Nepal, and the Himalayas have long roasted and ground hulless barley into nutritious flours — an ancestral practice that modern industries can scale up sustainably. In today’s context of rising energy costs and demand for cleaner production, hulless barley stands out as a model of natural efficiency: a grain that comes pre-optimized by nature for a low-impact, high-yield food system

Learn how barley adds functional value to modern foods in Barley in Modern Food Formulation.

Breeding Innovation: Tailoring Hulless Barley for Modern Needs

Behind the simplicity of the grain lies a growing scientific effort to improve it. Modern breeding programs are now tailoring hulless barley for food, feed, and industrial purposes.

According to Meints & Hayes (2020), researchers in the United States, Canada, and Asia are developing new naked barley lines that combine the nud gene with desirable agronomic traits — high yield, stress tolerance, and enhanced nutritional quality. Some lines produce waxy starch (rich in amylopectin), ideal for frozen foods and gluten-free baking; others are high in amylose, making them valuable for low-glycemic diets and functional foods.

These breeding advances go far beyond genetics. In Oregon, for instance, programs test hulless barley for craft brewing, breakfast cereals, and even plant-based milk. The goal is to create multi-purpose varieties that can move smoothly from field to table.

For regions such as North Africa and the Middle East, where heat and drought limit crop options, these traits open new opportunities. Shaveta et al. (2019) highlight that hulless barley’s natural adaptability and shorter growing cycle make it a strong candidate for dryland farming systems.

To explore how barley contributes to blood-sugar control, visit Barley and Diabetes: Is It the Right Grain for You?.

Sustainability at the Core

Sustainability is no longer optional in global agriculture — and hulless barley aligns perfectly with that mindset.
By naturally eliminating the dehulling step, this grain avoids one of the most energy-intensive operations in cereal processing. Industrial assessments cited by Bhatty (1999) show that hulless barley can cut total processing energy by 15 to 20 %, while also reducing wear on machines and lowering noise and dust in milling facilities. Each ton processed saves not only electricity but also water, since abrasive dehulling requires repeated cleaning cycles to remove hull residues. The environmental savings are both immediate and measurable: less CO₂ released, less water wasted, and fewer by-products to dispose ofHulless_Barley_A_new_era_of_res….

Because hulless barley retains its entire kernel and can be milled directly, it fits naturally into circular and low-carbon food systems. Every grain harvested becomes edible biomass — nothing is discarded as husk waste. Studies summarized by Shaveta et al. (2019) highlight that this full-grain utilization reduces post-harvest losses and supports the development of “zero-waste” value chains. The environmental footprint is further improved by the grain’s lower need for chemical inputs and its adaptability to dry or high-altitude conditions, which limit irrigation and fertilizer requirements.

Economically, hulless barley contributes to regional resilience. Since it can be processed with the same equipment used for wheat, local mills and small cooperatives can adopt it without costly upgrades. This decentralization of processing keeps more value in rural areas, encourages short supply chains, and fosters inclusive growth. In countries like Ethiopia and Nepal, farmers already transform hulless barley into roasted flours and fermented foods at the village level — a model that modern industries could scale sustainably.

Finally, its sustainability extends to the field itself. Research by Meints & Hayes (2020) shows that when hull weight is accounted for, modern hulless barley cultivars achieve comparable or even higher net grain yields than traditional covered types. This means farmers can pursue environmental goals without sacrificing productivity. In a world seeking climate-smart crops, hulless barley stands out as a rare example of a variety that simultaneously advances efficiency, equity, and ecological responsibility — a truly sustainable grain from seed to plate

Read more about barley’s role in sustainable food systems in How Barley Helps Save the Planet.

Why Invest in Hulless Barley Research?

Despite all these advantages, hulless barley remains a niche crop in most modern breeding programs. For decades, global barley research has been shaped by the needs of the malting and feed industries, with most public and private investment directed toward varieties optimized for beer or livestock. This focus left food-grade barley — especially the naked types — largely unexplored outside of Asia and parts of East Africa. Yet, as the 21st-century food system pivots toward sustainability, health, and local value creation, hulless barley is regaining attention as a versatile crop that bridges ancient tradition and modern innovation.

Reviving hulless barley means rethinking what makes a grain valuable.
According to Bhatty (1999), naked barley lines not only simplify post-harvest operations but also open new possibilities for value-added processing. Cleaner processing translates into lower carbon footprints and reduced dependence on industrial energy, aligning perfectly with modern “green milling” initiatives. Economic efficiency follows naturally — with higher flour yields (up to 15% more usable product) and lower losses during milling.

But the true revolution lies in functional nutrition. Hulless barley combines high β-glucan content (4–7%), significant levels of antioxidant phenolics, tocotrienols, and essential minerals such as magnesium and selenium. These compounds contribute to lower cholesterol, better glycemic response, and improved gut health, making the grain a strong candidate for functional foods and nutraceuticals. As Shaveta et al. (2019) emphasize, the integration of such grains into everyday staples like bread, chapatti, and couscous could have a transformative impact on public health.

From a scientific perspective, hulless barley also represents a reservoir of genetic diversity. Breeders such as Meints & Hayes (2020) highlight its potential as a donor of key alleles for drought tolerance, heat resilience, and enhanced nutritional quality. Crossing programs have already demonstrated that these traits can be incorporated into elite germplasm without compromising yield or adaptation — an important advantage for climate-smart agriculture.

For countries like Morocco, already committed to cereal diversification and functional food innovation, hulless barley presents an extraordinary opportunity. Local breeding programs could focus on developing β-glucan-rich, drought-tolerant lines suited for traditional foods such as couscous, bread, and pasta. These products, combining cultural heritage with modern nutrition, could strengthen both food security and rural income generation. Supporting such research means investing in a grain that unites ancient wisdom with contemporary sustainability — a small seed with the power to reshape the future of healthy diets and resilient agriculture.while reducing dependence on imported cereals.

Discover more on barley’s potential in the region in Barley in North Africa: From Survival to Sustainability and the future of Barley-Based Functional Foods.

Conclusion: The Future of Barley Is Naked

Hulless barley is proof that progress sometimes means rediscovering what nature perfected long ago. This ancient grain, once valued by Himalayan and Ethiopian farmers for its simplicity, is now being re-imagined as a sustainable, energy-saving, and nutrient-rich cereal for the 21st century.

By merging traditional resilience with modern science, hulless barley answers the global call for crops that feed people while respecting the planet. It turns out the smartest grain for the future is the one that lost its hull thousands of years ago.

As Shaveta et al. (2019) wrote, “Hulless barley heralds a new era of research and utilization in cereals.” That era has already begun — and it deserves our full attention.

Keep exploring how barley shapes a healthier world at Barley for Health.

References

• Bhatty, R. S. (1999). The Potential of Hull-less Barley. Cereal Chemistry, 76(5), 589–599.
• Shaveta, A., Singh, N., & Kaur, A. (2019). Hulless Barley: A New Era of Research for Food Purposes. In A. Singh (Ed.), Functional Foods. Springer.
• Meints, B., & Hayes, P. M. (2020). Breeding Naked Barley for Food, Feed, and Malt. In S. Ullrich (Ed.), Barley: Chemistry and Technology (2nd ed.). AACC International.