Funded by Saddle Hills County
Objective
To provide unbiased information to Saddle Hills County producers on the agronomic performance under Saddle Hills County conditions of different Barley varieties to assist them in selecting varieties that are best suited for their county.
Methods
The project was carried out in the spring of 2023 at Conrad Dolen’s farm located at the junction of Hwy 725/TR 814 in Fourth Creek, AB. Site soil information from the surface soil (0-6" soil depth) before seeding: pH=6.3, organic matter = 6.7, electrical conductivity = 0.38 dS/m, while the nutrient analysis of the soil gave N = 11 ppm, P = 17 ppm, K = 283 ppm and S = 5 ppm. Soil base saturation was 87.0% (Ca 58.5%, Mg 20.7%, Na 3.7%, K 1.1%). For reference, crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN/energy), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K) and micro minerals (Cu - copper; Mn - manganese; Fe - iron; Zn - zinc)
The previous crops on the site were field Pea (2022) and Barley (2021). The trial was a randomized complete block design with four replications on small plots measuring 8 m x 1.14 m of 12 barley varieties (see Table 1). Seeding was carried out using a 6-row Fabro Plot Drill equipped with disc-type openers on 23 cm row spacing complete with side banding.
Observations
Aside from the widespread grasshopper issue in the Peace Country this year, no other pest-related problems, such as fungal, bacterial, or viral diseases, were observed on the plots.
Results
The results for the barley variety trial are shown in Table 2.
Plant count
Plant counts (not shown here) taken 3 weeks after seeding ranged between 210 - 320 plants per m2 and did not differ significantly between varieties.
Plant Height and Lodging
Plant height ranged from about 60 to 80 cm with the smooth awn varieties AB Advantage, AB Renegade, and AB Tofield coming in first, second, and third order respectively. No lodging was observed amongst barley varieties at maturity.
Barley Grain Yield
Grain yield ranged (73 – 140 bu/ac) and varied significantly between barley varieties. The high-yielding varieties were AB Tofield > CDC Durango > CDC Churchill > CDC Copper which yielded about 142, 133, 121, and 120 % of the check variety AAC Synergy.
Barley Bushel and Thousand Kernel Weight
Bushel weight and TKW ranged from 47 – 55 lbs/bu and about 42 – 49 g/1000 seeds respectively between varieties.
Barley Grain Quality
Protein content narrowly ranged (12% - 13%) and did not differ significantly between varieties.
Conclusion
A significant variation in Barley plant height, bushel weight, and especially grain yields was observed among the varieties, suggesting that some Barley varieties have the potential to perform well under Saddle Hill County conditions. These yield advantages measured here will be confirmed in the remaining two years of the trial.
Comments