With higher fiber content than other grains, barley is a versatile forage crop with many uses.  Barley straw (especially six-row barleys with the highest protein content) can be used as feed for ruminants, as a bedding material or excellent in the reclamation of saline soils.  Barley will need to be rolled, flaked, ground, or pelleted in order to break the bran layer for proper efficiency when being used as feed.  High levels of starch give barley a good dry matter content with a similar protein amount to wheat, but higher than maize.  Generally high in fiber content, hulless varieties contain half the fiber content of hulled varieties and 1% – 2% more protein.  Hulless varieties are also more digestible and less bulky.  Compared with other cereal grains, barley is higher in digestible amino acids.  Barley is especially beneficial to ruminants with high gross energy content and high energy digestibility.  Although barley contains more phosphorus than other grains, that phosphorus has high bioavailability and can help reduce phosphorus excretion.  A shorter growing season of 60 – 70 days and ripening before harsh conditions occur means the areas where barley can be planted extends further north and south than other forage crops.  Barley will flower and mature earlier than wheat and enable producers who double-crop to get an earlier head start.

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”

Min Time To Emergence: 8 days

Ideal Temp:  40°F – 55°F

Monoculture: 120 – 150 Lb/A

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

• Peas

Tons of Dry Matter/A: 2.7