Winter barley in January?

[czechmate]

It’s now very wet here and another 8 days at least of rain forecast, barely is not drilled and no hope before bonfire night. I have dressed seed… so, if (I know unlikely) we had a beautiful January is there any reason why drilling winter barley then would fail/make an unviable crop?

 

[solo]

My neighbour used to grow winter barley sown in January and February on Sandy soils without issue pre millennium. The following day spring seed would go in the drill. Most was following potatoes or sugar beet which were harvested late. A cold period for vernalisation is needed.

 

[czechmate]

My neighbour used to grow winter barley sown in January and February on Sandy soils without issue pre millennium. The following day spring seed would go in the drill. Most was following potatoes or sugar beet which were harvested late. A cold period for vernalisation is needed.

as a “mixed farmer “, I could always mow and wrap it if it didn’t make ears

 

[Oldmacdonald]

It’s now very wet here and another 8 days at least of rain forecast, barely is not drilled and no hope before bonfire night. I have dressed seed… so, if (I know unlikely) we had a beautiful January is there any reason why drilling winter barley then would fail/make an unviable crop?

There wouldnt be many tillers in my opinion.

 

[czechmate]

There wouldnt be many tillers in my opinion.

heavy seed rate

 

[solo]

heavy seed rate

My neighbour used normal seed rates 1.5cwt/acre or less as the crops were grown for seed. Even the February planted crops looked well. I would guess 2.5 t whereas the best autumn sown could achieve up to 3t on the same soil type. The benefit of the autumn sowing was improved root structure which could withstand the summer drought giving a bolder sample.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Twice we have drilled winter barley mid Feb both times the yeild was better than autumn sown winter barley or March sown spring barley. The straw yeild was almost double.

2001 & 2013 both years snow followed the drilling, 2013 crows really hammered it, but still recovered well.

 

[czechmate]

Twice we have drilled winter barley mid Feb both times the yeild was better than autumn sown winter barley or March sown spring barley. The straw yeild was almost double.

2001 & 2013 both years snow followed the drilling, 2013 crows really hammered it, but still recovered well.

encouraging
normal or heavy seed rate?

 

[nxy]

It’s now very wet here and another 8 days at least of rain forecast, barely is not drilled and no hope before bonfire night. I have dressed seed… so, if (I know unlikely) we had a beautiful January is there any reason why drilling winter barley then would fail/make an unviable crop?

I have sown six row winter barley here in February and it was OK. Not great but a cheap crop to grow with one herbicide and one fungicide. However you should look at the variety, most here are not true winter types but have some spring types in their breeding.

Have a look for your variety here page 26 for six row and 27 for two row and look at the column Alternativité. The higher the number the more spring in the breeding.

https://www.arvalis.fr/sites/default/files/medias/pdf/2023-10/Guide_preco_Choisir1_OH_2023_Centre_Idf_Auvergne_Limousin_avec_nouvelles_regles_prosulfocarbe.pdf

then look at this chart. I generally take the Sud Bassin Parisien dates for here.

 

[nxy]

One other thing if we have a warm spring it will not tiller like it would in the UK. I would go at 500 seeds a sq/m and hope one seed gives one ear!

 

[czechmate]

I have sown six row winter barley here in February and it was OK. Not great but a cheap crop to grow with one herbicide and one fungicide. However you should look at the variety, most here are not true winter types but have some spring types in their breeding.

Have a look for your variety here page 26 for six row and 27 for two row and look at the column Alternativité. The higher the number the more spring in the breeding.

https://www.arvalis.fr/sites/default/files/medias/pdf/2023-10/Guide_preco_Choisir1_OH_2023_Centre_Idf_Auvergne_Limousin_avec_nouvelles_regles_prosulfocarbe.pdf

then look at this chart. I generally take the Sud Bassin Parisien dates for here.

View attachment 1145080

oh, thank you.
Mine is 6 row, I bought new in 2020 as a BYDV tolerant variety but I don’t recall it’s name. I will have to get mrs Czech to look back through the old factures .
Did you get drilled? I was trying to be clever (never a good idea) and leave it late (for me) to flush out weeds… sown nothing. The 45mm last night is almost a relief as at least there is no hope now

 

[czechmate]

One other thing if we have a warm spring it will not tiller like it would in the UK. I would go at 500 seeds a sq/m and hope one seed gives one ear!

6 row grains are not overly big, probably still only be 200 kg

 

[Devil's advocate]

encouraging
normal or heavy seed rate?

High 16 stone/acre in 2001 that was maybe too high but we got away with it. 2013 crows ate 75% but it still tillered out ok. That emerged under snow during the famous beast from the East followed by heavy rain. Crows really had a go sitting duck, but it still did ok.

Edit we rolled it asap when it dried up, then it tillered like crazy.