Growing spring barley
Variety choice
Most spring barley is grown for malt production. It is best to know which end market you are targeting and the details of its grain specification. Also, you should know your land and its capabilities for producing quality barley. Realistically, it will be difficult to produce low grain nitrogen on heavy land. The best advice is to push for yield and view any malting premium as a bonus. Higher yielding crops often produce lower grain nitrogen, so going for yield can give you a cushion, with the possibility of some premium.
Seed rate
Varieties vary enormously in tillering ability, yet optimum yield and grain quality are achieved at 700-800 ears per square metre. Consequently, seed rates must be adjusted accordingly and in England and Wales, seed rates need to be about 10% below those in Scotland, due to the climate.
Target Seed Rates (seeds/m2)
Tillering Ability
| High | Med/High | Med | Med/Low | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 325-350 | 350-375 | 375-400 | 400-425 | 425-450 |
| Scotland | 350-375 | 350-425 | 400-440 | 420-450 | 440-500 |
A sowing rate chart should be used in conjunction with the thousand grain weight of the seed to calculate the appropriate sowing rate.
Drilling time
Maximum yield is always obtained from crops established in good conditions. Spring barley does not behave like winter wheat, so seed rates used at early drilling should not be reduced to the same degree. Spring barley variety choice for early drilling will depend on the ability of that variety to resist early disease pressure and overcome problems such as pest attack from slugs, leather jackets and wheat bulb fly.
Late sown crops (after 1st April) will not tiller so freely, so seed rates should be increased by 10-15% to overcome this. Also, higher seed rates used with late sown crops should reduce some of the problems of late secondary tillering which can reduce grading (production of small grains).
Rolling
The firming of seedbeds by rolling directly after drilling is standard practice. Care should be taken on land prone to capping by delaying rolling until after emergence to avoid problems which would otherwise delay emergence and reduce tillering.
Nitrogen
Producing grain nitrogen levels suitable for your target market is very important for attaining the maximum premium. Time of drilling has a major influence on nitrogen application timing.
Nitrogen Application Timing
| First Application % of Total Nitrogen |
Second Application % of Total Nitrogen |
|
|---|---|---|
Nov-Dec-Jan |
50% @ 2.5 leaves (if soil temp is high enough) |
50% @ 3.5 leaves (no later than end of March) |
| February | 60% @ 2 leaves | 40% 10-14 days later |
| March | 60% @ 1.5 leaves | 40% 10-14 days later |
| Late March to Early April | 50% in seedbed | 50% @ 1.5 leaves |
| Mid-Late April | 100% in seedbed | - |
This is, of course, only a guideline. Local knowledge of soil types and previous practice will need to be considered.
Additionally, application rates will depend on three main factors:
- Soil fertility
- Yield potential
- End market
Examples of end market requirements are:
- Low nitrogen - 1.45 to 1.55 ale malts or distilling
- Med nitrogen - 1.55 to 1.75 lager malts and export
- High nitrogen - 1.75 to 2.00 specialist malts including some high D.P. (diastatic power) varieties
New varieties have high yield potential and quite often need higher nitrogen rates to produce the same nitrogen level in the grain compared to older varieties. (Check the technical sheets on the varieties you intend to grow).
Micronutrients
Micronutrients, especially manganese, are an important part of any growing programme for spring barley and NFC recommends at least a standard micronutrient programme. Manganese can become locked up in some soils creating deficiency symptoms in the crop. Barley suffering from manganese deficiency may well produce high screenings, particularly if the crop is suffering from other stress factors. On high risk sites, two applications of foliar manganese will be required. The first application should be at GS 13-15 followed by another treatment during tillering.
Fungicide programmes
Many new fungicides have come onto the market recently, which have improved disease control and green leaf area retention. Of these, Unix and the strobilurins can give excellent results. Also, in the right situation, triazoles and morpholines still have a place. The amount of fungicide used will depend on variety and disease pressure. Know your variety well to get the most out of the fungicide. The technical sheets will provide guidance for NFC varieties.
Plant Growth Regulators
Although lodging isn't normally a major problem in spring barley, where varieties are being pushed for maximum yield, it can become more of an issue, particularly on highly fertile sites. More commonly, however, PGRs are used to manipulate plant growth. Moddus is a new generation growth regulator, effective at very low dose rates. It brings benefits for tiller development, rooting and lodging, hence grain quality can be improved. Care must always be taken when applying PGRs to crops under stress.
BYDV resistance
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) is transmitted by aphids in May/June. Application of foliar insecticides has little effect on this problem. In high risk areas of the country (South and West) use a variety with good resistance to BYDV.
Grain aphids found in large numbers on the ear in late season are always a concern. To maintain quality keep aphid numbers below threshold levels.
Harvesting and storage
It is always advisable to harvest the crop in the best condition as soon as the moisture is correct. As with all malting barleys, any variety should be kept separate to stop contamination and obtain the maximum premium from the end product.
