Top Tips for Growing Spring Barley

When choosing a variety, topics such as end use, markets, region, soil type and disease risk should all be considered. Comparing varieties and their agronomic traits from our spring brochure or by talking to the seed team can help deduce the best variety for your farm.

All of Wynnstay’s spring barley is currently treated with Redigo Pro, a single-purpose dressing offering protection against seed-borne diseases. In particular seedling blights caused by microdochium and Fusarium fungi which can kill that seeding per or early post emergence.

This SPD also offers cover from loose smut and partial protection from leaf stripe. Additional treatments can be used on top of an SPD to aid establishment, root growth and counteract soil deficiencies.

A successful spring barley crop is very reliant on the establishment. Ploughing is common over in the West where spring barley is following a root or maize crop. When ploughing is must be worked well to ensure it’s not left cloddy. If a lower disturbance method is preferred, ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Seed rates will be determined largely by the sowing date with some consideration for seedbed quality.

Traditionally growers often reach for contact acting post-emergence herbicides for spring cereals. However, by considering the use of pre-emergence residuals, weed control can often be improved, whilst at the same time reducing the total spent on sprays.

A clean start is essential for a successful crop. Competition from weeds can result in establishment issues, lodging and reduced yields. There is often the temptation to apply herbicides in tank mixture with the first fungicide to save a pass with the sprayer, but this timing is often too late to provide adequate control because the weeds may have developed beyond a susceptible growth stage. By adopting a pre-emergence approach the herbicides are in place to control the weeds as soon as they germinate.

For many livestock farmers an essential part of the rotation is to follow a barley crop with stubble turnips or other ‘roots’ for grazing. The following crop restrictions associated with the use of a wide range of herbicides are often overlooked. Many pre and post-emergence products applied to the cereal crop can have an effect on a following root crop, with the symptoms varying from a general lack of vigour, right through to complete crop failure. However, there are some residual herbicides available which can be applied pre-emergence, that provide cost-effective, broad-spectrum weed control and which have no following crop restrictions.

 If growers are considering the use of pre-emergence herbicides, they could also consider purchasing the products along with the seed, so everything is ready for spring drilling when the time comes.

We must also be mindful of the increasing risk of herbicide resistance developing. Already, a small number of species of common weeds are reported to be showing a level of resistance to certain herbicides that have been very widely used over many years. Populations of herbicide-resistant broad-leaved weeds are not common, but the frequency of new reports is increasing. For example, resistance in common chickweed to the ALS group of herbicides has been reported from more than 10 counties across the UK.

To reduce the risk of selecting for resistant strains, avoid the use of herbicides with a single mode of action from the same chemical group. A mixture of active ingredients with different modes of action will greatly reduce the chances of resistance developing.

If a pre-emergence, residual herbicide cannot be applied, there are still effective post-emergence, contact-acting options. Product choice must be guided by weed spectrum and timing is decided by weed size, crop growth stage and whether or not other chemistry is to be included in a tank-mix.

It can be difficult to make early decisions on herbicide inputs that will be applied months down the line, but by considering options beforehand and planning ahead, you will benefit. - Dr Simon Pope, Crop Protection Manager at Wynnstay

Typical applications for nitrogen are 150 to 160kg/ha for an 8t/ha crop. Timings usually are split if the weather allows. The first application is usually at sowing or emergence to give the crop a supply through the early stages. The remaining application goes on at mid-tillering ready for the crops rapid up-take of nitrogen. Spring barley will require applications of potash and sulphur depending on soil indices.