Barley

Barley supplies food, malting grain and livestock feed. It favors well-drained soil near pH 6.0–7.5; select a food, hulless, feed or malting cultivar for the intended use.

Sun

Full sun

Water

Keep moist through establishment and grain filling; avoid waterlogging

Spacing

Dense grain stand; use cultivar-specific row spacing and seeding rate

First harvest

90–130 days

Tips

• Sow into a firm, weed-free seedbed; use the seed supplier’s depth and seeding rate, generally about 1 inch deep for small grains.
• Use a soil test for fertilizer; excess nitrogen promotes lodging and can lower grain quality.
• Keep weeds down early and water during heading and grain filling if rainfall is insufficient.
• Inspect heads for ergot, smut or mold; segregate suspect grain and seek testing before food or feed use.
• Cut when kernels are firm and mature, then thresh, clean and dry to the crop’s safe storage moisture.
• Wheat, barley, rye and triticale contain gluten; oats require appropriate purity controls for gluten-free use.

Spring and winter forms have different planting requirements; malting requires suitable cultivars and controlled grain quality.