Barley Varieties and Management - Central NSW

| Date: 25 Sep 2009

Figure 1.  Plant emergence for medium (87 mm) and deep (112 mm) sowing

GRDC code

DAN0104

Background


Barley continues to play an important role in southern NSW farming systems, helped by the release of higher-yielding varieties, concerns about leaf diseases in wheat, the requirement for weed competitive crops in managing herbicide resistance, and a desire to reduce risk by crop diversification. Barley can be valuable as a rotation crop with wheat, particularly in no-till and stubble retention systems, as it is not a host for most wheat foliar diseases. Its vigorous early growth allows it to compete well with weeds, needing lower herbicide inputs and restricting weed seed set.

Barley varieties


A considerable number of new varieties have been released over recent years, giving a range of improvements in yield, disease resistance and malting quality over the standard varieties. Growers need to consider the available markets as well as agronomic performance when choosing a variety. Market deregulation, the emergence of the container trade, a shortage of malting barley, and price sensitive export markets have led to a wider range of variety and marketing options for growers in NSW.

Schooner and Gairdner have been the preferred malting barley varieties in central NSW, with smaller areas of Baudin and some Fitzroy in the north. Of the feed varieties, Hindmarsh continues to perform well as does Grout, while Fleet is a taller alternative but can lodge under favourable conditions.

Buloke


Now a fully-accredited malting variety suited to the export market, the area sown to Buloke is expected to increase. It continues to perform well in mid-lower rainfall areas and as a later sown option in wetter areas.

Shepherd

Shepherd is a relatively early maturing feed variety, with good straw strength, yield and grainsize compared to established northern region varieties. Shepherd is resistant to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to leaf rust but is susceptible to scald and spot form net blotch.

Fairview

Fairview is a proprietary malting variety grown under contract to Malteurop for supply to the malt plant at Geelong. It has similar maturity to Gairdner with improved straw strength, leaf rust resistance and competitive yield under favourable conditions. It was the outstanding variety in irrigated trials in southern NSW in 2008, although quality data are not yet available.

Commander

 
Commander is a mid maturing malting variety with yield potential rivalling current feed varieties and excellent grainsize in terms of both screenings and retention. It is likely to suit domestic breweries and some export markets. Initial seed sales have targeted northern NSW and South Australia. Large scale seed availability for the remainder of NSW is planned for the 2010 season.

Yield results for selected varieties from central NSW NVT trials are shown in Table 1 and plump grain (retention) results in Table 2. Site mean yields were high at many sites and late rain suited the later maturing varieties. In deciding on varieties for 2009, growers should consider the across season results available on the NVT website and in the 2009 NSW DPI Winter Crop Variety Sowing Guide.

Table 1. Grain yield (t/ha) for selected varieties in NVT trials in 2008

Variety
Coonamble
Gilgandra
Goonumbla
Quandialla
Condobolin
Wongarbon
Baudinpbrlogo
-
-
-
5.66
1.55
-
Bulokepbrlogo
4.00
4.19
5.58
5.73
1.61
5.49
Commanderpbrlogo
4.13
4.64
5.85
6.03
1.63
6.18
Fitzroypbrlogo
3.66
4.16
6.01
6.44
-
5.78
Flagshippbrlogo
4.12
4.28
5.61
5.75
1.37
5.61
Fleetpbrlogo
3.86
4.17
6.40
6.24
1.60
5.99
Gairdnerpbrlogo
3.57
4.32
3.27
5.56
1.39
5.57
Groutpbrlogo
3.86
4.08
5.22
5.28
1.54
5.62
Hannanpbrlogo
4.15
4.48
5.21
5.67
1.85
5.21
Hindmarshpbrlogo
4.05
4.18
4.71
6.37
1.73
5.20
Lockyerpbrlogo
3.93
4.44
5.80
6.24
1.63
6.27
Mackaypbrlogo
3.94
4.38
5.64
-
-
6.18
Schooner
3.83
4.21
5.29
4.95
1.67
5.04
Tantangara
3.46
4.16
5.11
5.78
1.50
5.66
Urambiepbrlogo
-
-
-
6.20
-
5.68
   CV%
4.12
3.87
4.72
3.37
6.79
2.34
   LSD (t/ha)
0.25
0.27
0.42
0.33
0.18
0.22
 Sow date
29 May
19 May
28 May
22 May
24 June
16 June



Table 2. Retention values (plump grain, percentage above a 2.5 mm screen) for selected varieties in NVT trials in 2008.

Variety
Coonamble
Gilgandra
Goonumbla
Quandialla
Condobolin
Wongarbon
Baudin
-
-
-
80.4
70.3
-
Buloke
60.6
88.6
61.6
65.1
38.3
90
Commander
73.4
95.5
70.4
78.9
64.8
95.3
Fitzroy
51.9
88.6
57.5
76.2
-
81.4
Flagship
49.9
88.3
73.1
61.9
21.0
94.5
Fleet
76.7
95.8
86.1
94.4
71.1
96.0
Gairdner
19.4
88.5
33.8
38.3
22.3
77.0
Grout
75.8
95.2
90.1
50.7
17.4
97.0
Hannan
50.2
96.2
82.4
82.5
51.5
94.2
Hindmarsh
72.1
91
85.3
75.5
58.0
96.0
Lockyer
23.1
87.7
23.7
34.8
43.8
78.6
Mackay
48.1
87.2
51.9
-
-
88.9
Schooner
57.2
92.6
71.8
63.9
39.6
92.2
Tantangara
17.4
84.7
21.1
26.4
18.0
75.4
Urambie
-
-
-
18.8
-
32.6
Southern barley agronomy

 
Southern Barley Agronomy, a tri-state initiative supported by GRDC and SAGIT, has been established to provide variety specific management advice for newly released barley varieties. Research partners include NSW DPI, Birchip Cropping Group, Southern Farming Systems and SARDI. A complimentary Northern Project is conducted by NSW DPI and QDPI&F. A major focus is on the suitability of varieties for no-till farming systems, and the differences between varieties in terms of weed competitiveness, herbicide tolerance and nitrogen and row spacing responses. Some initial results from 2008 are presented here, but at the time of writing (Jan 09) detailed statistical analyses and grain quality measurements have not been completed.

1. Seeding depth responses

An ability to establish well under a range of seedbed conditions is desirable in cereal varieties. Moisture-seeking, heavy stubble residues, rain between seeding and emergence and the need to avoid pre-emergent herbicides can result in the need for plants to emerge from greater than ideal depth.

Twelve barley varieties were sown at three depths (44, 87, and 112 mm) at Condobolin in 2008, using seed from a common 2007 site. Seed was graded into three sizes and was untreated except for one lot of medium-size seed which was treated with the higher registered rate of triadimenol. Emergence results are shown in Figure 1.




Deeper sowing reduced emergence in all varieties. At 87 mm, the reduction was greatest in Buloke, Gairdner and Fitzroy (average 57% emergence) and least for Fleet and Commander (73%). At 112 mm, there was a similar pattern with Buloke, Gairdner, Fitzroy and Hindmarsh the poorest (40%) and Fleet the best (64%). Emergence was related to coleoptile length and not to plant height. Buloke, a tall variety, has a short coleoptile and emerged poorly from depth whereas Baudin, a semi-dwarf variety, emerged well from depth.

Average seed size also influenced emergence (Figure 2). Grain from the 2007 harvest was graded into three size classes (>2.5 mm, 2.2-2.5 mm, 1.8-2.2 mm) using slotted sieves.

Figure 2. Plant emergence in response to seed size, meaned over three sowing
Plant emergence was greater for large seed for all varieties. With small seed, there were few differences among varieties. The response to seed size was greatest in Fleet, suggesting that part of its superior emergence is due to its inherently larger grain size.

Plant emergence was also inhibited by seed treatment with triadimenol (Figure 3).

Figure 3.  Plant emergence of triadimenol treated seed as a percentage of the

Seed treatment with triadimenol suppressed emergence in all varieties, particularly at deeper sowing depths, in line with its known effect of shortening coleoptile length. The effect of triadimenol was greatest where varieties with short coleoptiles were sown at 87 or 112 mm, where emergence was only 20-40% of the values for untreated seed.

Overall, these results emphasise the need to sow varieties that have short coleoptiles at shallow depths and to take care with seed grading and the use of seed dressings.

2. Row spacing in barley


There has been a trend to wider row spacings in recent years. Likely benefits include:
• an ability to sow into higher levels of retained stubble
• a reduction in fuel costs during sowing and/or increased sowing speed
• ability to inter-row sow subsequent crops
• reduced soil disturbance, and
• lower cost of sowing equipment.

However, potential costs from wider spacings include:
• lower yields with wider row spacing, particularly under higher yielding conditions, and
• greater weed competition.

At six sites in 2008, barley varieties differing in plant architecture were sown at a range of row spacings (Figure 4). All trials included the varieties Buloke (tall, rapid early growth), Gairdner (medium height, prostrate early), Baudin (short) and Hindmarsh (moderately short, very erect). At all sites, Hindmarsh was the standout variety for yield. There were some variety by row spacing interactions, but these were relatively minor and so the results for each site, averaged over the varieties, are shown in Figure 4. At the higher yielding sites, Parkes and Temora, yield was maintained up to a spacing of 300 mm then declined as spacing increased to 380 mm. At the lower yielding Condobolin sites, a spacing of 430 mm gave yields equivalent to narrower values. These latter crops were sown into high stored moisture but received little in-crop rainfall, and it is likely that wider rows limited early biomass production and retained more soil moisture for use at flowering and grain-filling. This response was particularly evident at the Rankins Springs site, where yield was maintained at a 660 mm row spacing. The heavy reliance on stored moisture at this site was combined with a relatively early sowing date.

Figure 4. Yield response to row-spacing at six sites in 2008. Values are the mean of between four and eight barley varieties at each site.

3. Row-spacing, variety and phosphorus response


The rapid rise in phosphorus prices has led farmers to rethink their fertiliser practices. There is little information on phosphorus response in barley, particularly for newer varieties which differ in plant architecture. Furthermore, farming practices have changed significantly with the use of knife points and wider row-spacings, resulting in changes to the spatial pattern of fertiliser application and particularly to within-row concentration. These changes could alter phosphorus responses in the year of application and possibly in subsequent years, particularly where precision guidance is used to inter-row sow between stubble (and hence fertiliser) rows.

A trial to examine these issues was established at Condobolin in 2008. Full spatial analysis is not complete at the time of writing (Jan 09) but some preliminary findings are available. The response to phosphorus of Buloke and Hindmarsh barleys and Ventura wheat are shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Phosphorus response of Buloke and Hindmarsh barleys and Ventura wheat, averaged over three row-spacings

The site had been under pasture for about five years and had a moderate-low (22 ??g/g Colwell) soil phosphorus level. There was some stored water at sowing but late winter and spring rainfall were well below average. Barley out-yielded Ventura wheat at nil phosphorus. All varieties responded to phosphorus, but the magnitude varied, being least in Ventura (0.4 t/ha), intermediate in Buloke (0.6 t/ha) and greatest in Hindmarsh (1.1 t/ha). Further analysis (including biomass and yield component measurements) will be needed to confirm and explain the apparent differences in the shapes of the response curves.

There was also evidence for differing phosphorus response patterns among the three row-spacings used, namely 170, 300 and 430 mm (Figure 6). At the 170 and 430 mm spacings, yield increased with phosphorus up to 8 kgP/ha and then plateaued, whereas at 300 mm yield decreased at phosphorus levels above 12 kgP/ha.
Figure 6. Phosphorus response at three row-spacings, averaged over three cultivars.
There were large differences in early biomass and groundcover within this trial but no yield reduction from the widest row-spacing, possibly because of the combination of stored water and low in-crop rainfall. Again, further analysis is expected to help explain these responses.

4. Pre-harvest weather damage


Rainfall and strong winds around harvest time are not uncommon in southern and central NSW. The ability of varieties to tolerate these conditions was assessed in a trial at Condobolin in 2008. Ten varieties differing in likely head retention, lodging resistance and weathering susceptibility were harvested on four dates, beginning at physiological maturity. Plots were scored for head loss and lodging, and grain samples taken for quality analysis. Plots were harvested on 7 November, 24 November, 11 December and 22 December. Rainfall received between the harvest dates totalled 40, 17 and 24 mm respectively.

Despite periods of strong wind and rain, there was little head loss and relatively minor lodging. Between the first and last harvest, test weight declined in all varieties from an average of 67.8 to 62.1 kg/hL. There were also significant variety and harvest date differences in germinative capacity and water sensitivity (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Water sensitivity of five malting barleys at four harvest dates
Buloke was the most resistant to post-maturity weather damage as measured by water sensitivity, and Flagship the most sensitive, the other three varieties showing intermediate responses. When tested at normal water supply (germinative capacity), Flagship declined with each delay in harvest, reaching 58% on 22 December. All other varieties showed only minor changes, with values maintained above 90%. Further quality tests are underway but clearly farmers growing Flagship will need to ensure timely harvest.

Contact details

Dr Neil Fettell
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Condobolin Agricultural Research Station
PO Box 300, Condobolin NSW 2877
Ph: (02) 6895 2099
Fx: (02) 68 952688 
Email

pbrlogo Varieties displaying this symbol beside them are protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994.