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 price of nitrogen N/acre and an additional N application showed and good soybean prices 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. plant wheat followed by dou - Reducing N input cost can affect the profit ble-crop soybeans 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 grains, 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 grain. The low fiber, hulless grain wheat. Although the price of barley has in - with high starch and protein 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 gin 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.