Barley grows up to 4 ft. high with a strong fibrous root system.  Seminal roots grow as deep as 7 ft. and provide anchoring while adventitious roots gather nutrients for the plant. Barley has more tillers than wheat, oats, or rye.

Not Recommended

Because barley has a short time to maturity, Barley can be grown at higher altitudes than any other cereal grain. Barley is grown in the arctic circle. Barley is grown in the Sahara Desert. Barley can even be grown in the Himalayas.

Seeds/Lb: 13,000 – 15,000

Although less winter-hardy than wheat, barley has the ability to tolerate higher and drier climates than other cereal grains including wheat and oats. Barley is best suited to well-drained, fertile loams, or light clay soils, and performance is better on alkaline soils than on acidic soils. Tolerant of saline soils (up to 1%), barley is also tolerant of heat, but the heat must be dry heat as humidity will create disease issues. Waterlogging is not tolerated by barley. If not properly protected by snow, cover crop residues, or bred for cold tolerance barley will have a tendency to winterkill.

Soil pH: 5.2 – 8.3

Optimum Growth Range: 32°F+

Plant earlier than the appropriate dates to plant wheat in your area to ensure good establishment and root development prior to winter dormancy. Follow at least a two-year rotation with crops other than small grains. Barley requires a firm seedbed.

Seeding Depth: 1″ – 1½”

Monoculture: 120 – 150 Lb/A

Min Time To Emergence: 8 days

Ideal Temp: 40°F – 55°F

Barley provides more fall pasture than wheat or rye, and early planting means an earlier start to grazing. Remove cattle from pastures before the onset of jointing (when the first node and head emerge above ground level).

Earliest Time To Graze: 6″ – 10″

Fertilization recommendations are similar to wheat for an area. Excess nitrogen increases the possibility of lodging and promotes growth that’s detrimental to winter survival. There may also be issues with excessively high protein.

At Planting: 20 Lb/A N – 30 Lb/A N

During Grazing Season: 40 Lb/A N every 4 – 6 weeks

Timing: 58 – 65 days after planting

Cuttings During Season: 2 – 3

Minimum Graze Height: 12″

Rest Period: 2 – 4 weeks

• TS7 Pea

Tons of Dry Matter/A: 2.7

Barley is competitive with quick maturity.

High in starch value, but low protein value, include barley grain at 40% or less dry matter. Avoid waxy barley for use with pigs or poultry. Lambs are the only animal that doesn’t require additional processing of barley before feeding. Dry rolling increases rumen digestibility by 16% and starch digestibility by 37%. Additional processing methods that increase starch and rumen digestibility include roasting, aldehyde treatment, and ammonia. Awned barley may cause irritation and result in stomatitis in horses, cattle, and poultry. Barley grain is susceptible to scab under hot and humid conditions and in turn, result in the production of mycotoxins. Weight loss, lower feed conversion, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, severe dermatitis, and death are all signs of toxicosis. Harvested grain containing greater than 5% infected kernels can contain enough toxin to be harmful to humans and animals. Barley also contains Pentosans and should not be utilized for poultry.

• Leaf Rust
• Powdery Mildew
• Net Blotch
• Septoria Leaf Blotch
• Bacterial Stripe Blight
• Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus

• Armyworms
• Aphids
• Fall Armyworm
• Grasshoppers
• Chinch Bugs
• Variegated Cutworms
• Wireworms
• Hessian Flies
• False Chinch Bugs