They tend to shatter badly in dry climates. These are grown mainly in the upper Mississippi Valley and are extensively used for malting. Coast Group . These varieties trace to North African ancestry and are grown in California and Arizona, also in the Inter-Mountain Region. They are 6-rowed, awned, with large kernels, and short to medium length stems.
Spikes are medium to short, dense and generally held erect to semierect.
They mature early and are not prone to shatter. They have a spring growth habit but may be fall or winter seeded in California and Arizona where winters are mild. Tennessee Winter Group . Varieties of this group trace to the Balkan-Caucasus Region or Korea. Plants are medium tall, of winter habit.