Advantages Of Barley In Double-Crop System BILL BRUENING The results (table 1.) indicate that yields were LEXINGTON, KY. maximized at a single application rate of 70 lbs he high of nitrogen N/acre and an additional N application showed and good no benefit. No fall N was applied. There was no have caused many grow - difference in response between hulled and hul - eTrs to question whether to less barley lines. followed by dou - Reducing N input cost can affect the profit ble-crop or simply margin, but barley price is obviously also im - opt for full season soybeans. portant. The agronomic potential of hulless High wheat input costs cou - barley is also being evaluated at the University pled with the late planted soybean yield penalty of Kentucky. The development of new hulless associated with double-cropping behind wheat barley varieties may result in higher barley have some growers second guessing the bene - prices associated with increased demand and fits of double-cropping. nutritional quality. Winter small , such as wheat and barley Barley was once an important feed source for

provide an important source of income during livestock, but the demand and production de - the summer months. Winter cover crops also re - clined as poultry and swine enterprises became duce soil erosion, add organic matter to the soil, more integrated and demanded a lower fiber, provide moisture conserving residues, as well as higher energy diet. Hulless barley may be a so - nitrogen (N) for the succeeding crop, and reduce lution, and has the potential to reclaim lost an - ground water contamination by utilizing resid - imal feed markets and develop new markets for ual N from the previous crop. ethanol, human food and nutraceuticals. Unlike Barley has the potential to minimize or elimi - traditional barley, hulless barley sheds its fiber - nate the late planted double-crop soybean yield ous hull during harvest and results in an en - penalty since it is harvested two weeks before ergy dense . The low fiber, hulless grain wheat. Although the price of barley has in - with high and content has shown creased in recent years, it is always lower than the potential to stimulate new markets. Re - wheat. With today’s high input costs, the mar - search is continuing to insure that new hulless of profitability is always in question. In barley varieties are broadly adapted and have order for barley’s potential benefit in a double- good agronomic traits. crop system to be realized, input costs must de - There are many benefits of double-cropping. crease and/or barley price increase. Barley appears to have lower N requirements With intensive management practices, nitro - than wheat and can eliminate the late planted gen is applied to barley in a split spring appli - soybean yields associated with double-cropping cation of typically 40 lbs N/acre at green-up and behind wheat. These factors along with poten - 60 lbs N/acre at jointing. Researchers at Vir - tial new markets and demand for hulless barley ginia Tech and the University of Maryland have may make future double-crop decisions a bit shown that barley yields can frequently be max - easier. These research projects have been imized with a single spring application of 60lbs funded in part by the Kentucky Small Grains N/acre, substantially less than the recom - Growers Association and the Kentucky Soybean mended rate. To follow up on these studies, Board. ∆ tests at the University of Kentucky were con - ducted on 20 barley (hulled and hulless) lines Bill Bruening is Research Specialist with the with six nitrogen treatments over two years. University of Kentucky at Lexington.