Winter Barley growing advice.

[Joe Boy]

I have swapped my rape area for winter barley as in 3 yrs I've yet to produce a decent crop. I'm determined to make the barley a success and save all that time chasing pigeons and slug pelleting.

My seed turned up this morning, Glacier TWG 51, for some heavy clay, Tower (TWG 66) for medium soils and I have some fletcher hybrid barley coming for a block of light land.

What sort I seed rates should I go for, and what's the earliest I can start drilling, what variety would best best suited to early drilling?

I have a lot of rooks/crows gathering were the conventional barley is going, should I up the seed rate to compensate or just plant deeper?

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[Brisel]

I plant 330 seeds/m2 in late September for non hybrids on light land. That assumes a good seedbed. If corvids are that much of an issue you can start around 18th September & it wil be up and away from their beaks before you know it. Plant it 1.5 inches deep as usual to keep it out of reach of the pre emergence herbicides. You can go a little deeper if the seedbed is rough. Roll it tight & watch it grow!

I'm not familliar with Fletcher but as a general rule, I'd do the Tower first, then ther Glacier then the hybrid. If the weather is catchy then drill whatever you can get in well first. With such big grains for the Tower it will have plenty of vigour.

 

[Hampton]

If you want to be truly happy with it, grow it as a first cereal.

 

[tr250]

If you want to be truly happy with it, grow it as a first cereal.

Yes or plough after wheat

 

[spin cycle]

....or send seed back and don't grow

 

[tr250]

....or send seed back and don't grow

What don't grow barley or don't grow anything

 

[Jerry]

I a good spring I prefer spring barley over winter for lots of reasons not least margin and cash flow.

 

[spin cycle]

What don't grow barley or don't grow anything

whats worth growing?......if osr area is down...other crops reduced.....livestock sector struggling...pound high......where's all the barley going to go?......budget on £90/t?.....as likely to be £80 perhaps?....my point really is that all crops are down so isn't chopping/changing just an excersize in 'swapping clothes'?

 

[tr250]

I a good spring I prefer spring barley over winter for lots of reasons not least margin and cash flow.

I'm the other way round mainly because we are too busy in spring also as you say you need a good spring. I understand cashflow but margin I believe better on winter barley yes some years spring barly will stack up but some years it can be poor. Winter is more constsistant in my opinion and it's ready to harvest earlier less combine capacity needed and osr can be drilled earlier

 

[tr250]

whats worth growing?......if osr area is down...other crops reduced.....livestock sector struggling...pound high......where's all the barley going to go?......budget on £90/t?.....as likely to be £80 perhaps?....my point really is that all crops are down so isn't chopping/changing just an excersize in 'swapping clothes'?

Yes point taken its all looking a bit gloomy not but said barley could be sold in spring 17 who knows the price then it might be £150 a ton it might not also but we don't know

 

[More to life]

I think it dose better drilled in oct than sept it comes through the winter cleaner and you get better grass control

 

[franklin]

I will be growing a block as a 1st and 2nd cereal. Some ploughed, some just lightly disced.

 

[bobk]

Until the chem manufacturers produce something other than one trick ponies there'll be no barely grown here .

 

[JJT]

I think it dose better drilled in oct than sept it comes through the winter cleaner and you get better grass control

That depends how far north/ west you are. Barley drilled much into Oct here ain't so good!

 

[More to life]

That depends how far north/ west you are. Barley drilled much into Oct here ain't so good!

Fair point

 

[tr250]

Until the chem manufacturers produce something other than one trick ponies there'll be no barely grown here .

I prefer barley than wheat if your talking blackgrass I know you can't use Atlantis but barley is more tollerant to blackgrass and more competitive . Nothing worse than thin wheat crops

 

[bobk]

I prefer barley than wheat if your talking blackgrass I know you can't use Atlantis but barley is more tollerant to blackgrass and more competitive . Nothing worse than thin wheat crops

No bg here , but we're good at growing other weeds , so spring herbicide is ally, axial + agidor and starane

 

[Brisel]

That's a common spring herbicide programme & hardly breaks the bank, esp if you can get the Axial on early (T0) with generic methylated rapeseed oil not that expensive Syngenta Adigor.

 

[Joe Boy]

I plant 330 seeds/m2 in late September for non hybrids on light land. That assumes a good seedbed. If corvids are that much of an issue you can start around 18th September & it wil be up and away from their beaks before you know it. Plant it 1.5 inches deep as usual to keep it out of reach of the pre emergence herbicides. You can go a little deeper if the seedbed is rough. Roll it tight & watch it grow!

I'm not familliar with Fletcher but as a general rule, I'd do the Tower first, then ther Glacier then the hybrid. If the weather is catchy then drill whatever you can get in well first. With such big grains for the Tower it will have plenty of vigour.

Thanks for the advice. I have three fields were the hybrid barley is going that have gone rape then peas. So should be a cracking crop in there.

 

[Fuzzy]

I have swapped my rape area for winter barley as in 3 yrs I've yet to produce a decent crop. I'm determined to make the barley a success and save all that time chasing pigeons and slug pelleting.

My seed turned up this morning, Glacier TWG 51, for some heavy clay, Tower (TWG 66) for medium soils and I have some fletcher hybrid barley coming for a block of light land.

What sort I seed rates should I go for, and what's the earliest I can start drilling, what variety would best best suited to early drilling?

I have a lot of rooks/crows gathering were the conventional barley is going, should I up the seed rate to compensate or just plant deeper?

Any advice much appreciated.

How did you get on with the Hybrid fletcher Barley?