Robust (Barley) is a North American six-row spring barley variety with smooth awns and plump kernels. In the brewhouse, Robust has low beta-glucan levels, which leads to low wort viscosity and a well-draining mash bed. Developed in 1983 by the Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Station, Robust is a cross between the Morex and Manker barley varieties. It has short stalks and good lodging resistance, unlike many long-stalk varieties which often break easily and are difficult to harvest. See lodging resistance. Robust barley is resistant to stem blotch and stem rust, but it is susceptible to loose smut. It grows best in well-drained, fertile soils and can thrive on alkaline and heavy substrates. In 2009, it was second in acreage in Minnesota only to Lacey barley plantings, but it does less well in hotter and drier conditions. Robust is used both as a malting and a feed barley. In the United States it is used almost exclusively by large brewers as a base malt; however, craft brewers use Robust widely in the form of roasted and caramel malts.