Which barley varieties did you use this year if you don't mind me asking? Also, how did the field yield?
Drilling mixed barley varieties.....
- Thread starter N.Yorks.
- Start date
Which barley varieties did you use this year if you don't mind me asking? Also, how did the field yield?
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Worked well, all standing nicely, easy harvest. Yield slightly higher than six row on its own, i plan to switch to Orwell with Rafaela for next years crop.
Surge & Orwell is the current mix, might add another this autumn to keep it up to date so to speak. It did about 4.25 tpa on blow away sand with minimal inputs.
- Location
- Lincoln
I'm a little late to the party here, but if anyone's still reading, at the BASE conference in 2020, one of the presenters said in a malting trial, a blend gave the best result. I know of no merchant or malster who will accept a blend unfortunately as I'd really like to have a go with a spring barley mix. Maybe I should and see what happens! I bet it wouldn't even be picked up at the maltings. I will be growing both a wheat blend and a feed barley blend for harvest 2022 now I've worked out how to mix varieties together easily.
Go on then how are you mixing them?
We are going to use our pan mixer to have a go
Wouldn't the best mix be achieved by planting individual vars in alternate strips and just combining crossways. Quite easy to drill with accurate GPS nowadays.
This would have benefit of allowing variety that displayed undesirable traits to be cut first and taken out of the mix.
This would have benefit of allowing variety that displayed undesirable traits to be cut first and taken out of the mix.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I keep think about doing some mixed varieties, either cassia and bazooka or cassia and funky/ rafiela and my method would be to use a pan mixer.
Breakthru
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
The old favourite that worked well was Volume 6 row plus Pearl 2 row. Lower seed price, good yield and quality. Matured at same time.
The Aberdonians reckoned you had 3 t/ac on top and 3t/ac below. Managed 5.5t/ac so they weren't far wrong. Even used a gravity separator to pull out the Pearl but premium wasn't worth the hassle other than one year.
The Aberdonians reckoned you had 3 t/ac on top and 3t/ac below. Managed 5.5t/ac so they weren't far wrong. Even used a gravity separator to pull out the Pearl but premium wasn't worth the hassle other than one year.
SilliamWhale
Member
That sounds interesting. I may try and 2 and 6 row one year
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I keep threatening to try bazooka and cassia which would be a modern day equivalent of volume and pearl.
Breakthru
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
The secret is that the 6 row tends to lose heads fairly quickly compared to the 2 row so important to get an early 2 row to match the 6.
What I used to do was grow the various varieties in 2 tramline blocks sown on the same day and assess the results at harvest. Be careful in that usually the 2 is lower down and so slightly later to mature than when on its own. That in itself is an advantage when you get a very early 2 row. The key is when the 6 row is ready it goes through the combine irrespective of the moisture content of the 2 row as head losses can be serious if you wait too long. Might be different for you boys in the land of Goshen with long sunny days and no wind.
One further tip don't worry about the excess awns on the 6 row. If you set the drum too tight you will skin the 2 row. The secret is dump the whole lot on the floor and leave overnight before putting through the plant whether that be drier, augers, dresser or whatever. That way the awns fall off and the hectolitre weight increases dramatically.