How to boost direct drilled spring barley

Tractor Boy · May 14, 2022

I’ve got a problem with some spring barley drilled with a 750 into spring wheat stubble on March 30th. The barley has no go in it, it’s all got spindly leaves and no tillers and despite an 85% establishment it still hasn’t covered between the rows after emerging about a month ago. I’m not sure whether it’s down to the dry not making N and other nutrients available or previous residue locking nutrients up. There is moisture at depth but we haven’t had a lot in the 2-3 inch top rooting zone. Another possible mistake was not spraying the weedy volunteers off til early March as I didn’t want to have to do the usual practice of a dose of glyphosate before Xmas and another at drilling. Am I likely to have some alleopathy?
I’m just worried whether it’s going to run up without bulking out as when this happened on a droughts light land field once that’s what happened and the ears were tiny.
Is there anything that can be done to thicken it up. The second picture shows an area with no residue and the barley has tillered there.

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
I’ve got a problem with some spring barley drilled with a 750 into spring wheat stubble on March 30th. The barley has no go in it, it’s all got spindly leaves and no tillers and despite an 85% establishment it still hasn’t covered between the rows after emerging about a month ago. I’m not sure whether it’s down to the dry not making N and other nutrients available or previous residue locking nutrients up. There is moisture at depth but we haven’t had a lot in the 2-3 inch top rooting zone. Another possible mistake was not spraying the weedy volunteers off til early March as I didn’t want to have to do the usual practice of a dose of glyphosate before Xmas and another at drilling. Am I likely to have some alleopathy?
I’m just worried whether it’s going to run up without bulking out as when this happened on a droughts light land field once that’s what happened and the ears were tiny.
Is there anything that can be done to thicken it up. The second picture shows an area with no residue and the barley has tillered there.

Plough it

bobk · May 14, 2022

glasshouse said:
Plough it

SB needs a good start imo

Tractor Boy · May 14, 2022

bobk said:
SB needs a good start imo

The establishment isn’t the issue though. It just won’t get going now. I was wondering whether I dare roll it or whether anyone has had any success using PGR’s to increase tillering.

Tractor Boy · May 14, 2022

glasshouse said:
Plough it

I can’t think of a more tedious job.

SilliamWhale · May 14, 2022

Roll it.

Add manganese after

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
The establishment isn’t the issue though. It just won’t get going now. I was wondering whether I dare roll it or whether anyone has had any success using PGR’s to increase tillering.

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
I can’t think of a more tedious job.

It seems to work though
Dd is for the cant be bothered club

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
The establishment isn’t the issue though. It just won’t get going now. I was wondering whether I dare roll it or whether anyone has had any success using PGR’s to increase tillering.

Harrow it

bobk · May 14, 2022

No soil contact , drilling in to a field of hay

Tractor Boy · May 14, 2022

bobk said:
No soil contact , drilling in to a field of hay

There’s plenty of soil contact. The seed is 30mm deep in soil with the straw residue on top.

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
There’s plenty of soil contact. The seed is 30mm deep in soil with the straw residue on top.

Toxins
Learn to plough

Tractor Boy · May 14, 2022

glasshouse said:
Toxins
Learn to plough

I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. I thought ploughing was for people that had nothing more exciting to do.

glasshouse · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. I thought ploughing was for people that had nothing more exciting to do.

You thought wrong

Wesley · May 14, 2022

Tractor Boy said:
There’s plenty of soil contact. The seed is 30mm deep in soil with the straw residue on top.

I was always lead to believe SB liked a good tilth.

Flatlander · May 15, 2022

How’s the soil temperature. With all that residue cover it more than likely a lot colder under it than the bare patch. Also when drilled it would have been too so got a quicker start. DD crops here are always behind in growing,as said above SB is a crop that need a good start and a heavy residue load isn’t it. Plough it after Christmas ,spray off any flush of weeds,spread you PK and half your n on and work it in while making a decent seedbed. Drill and watch your neighbours admire it.

Farmer Roy · May 15, 2022

cquick · May 15, 2022

You could try spraying a couple of litres of molasses and a litre of maxicrop triple. Might perk it up a bit.
But if it's not a huge area, and you can afford to lose the production, whack a cover crop in there for the summer and focus on establishing a good crop this autumn

moretimeforgolf · May 15, 2022

My spring barley is struggling too. I think the mistake was ‘drilling on the green’. The cover crop had sucked all the moisture out and it’s hardly rained since drilling. Where the cover crop was thin the barley is acceptable. I’ve got spring triticale on another block and that is looking well …. cover crop sprayed off about 6 weeks prior to drilling. Both crops following wheat with straw baled.

Nick. · May 15, 2022

My SB is awful too.
DD in to Sprayed off 6 weeks before drilling. No CC but usual weeds and volunteers.
It went in a treat, into moisture.
But then next to no rain since we drilled it. Only just enough to damp the dust again last night.
It’s getting desperate now.

How to boost direct drilled spring barley

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