Key Points
- Five spring barley cultivars were sown over 5 months from June to October at 2 Canterbury sites.
- Grain yields declined as sowing was delayed, from an average 7.7 t/ha sown in June to 5.4 t/ha sown in October.
- The yield decline was more marked at the dryland Sheffield site than at the irrigated Dorie site.
- Grain size decreased and protein levels increased with sowing time at Sheffield but there was little change at Dorie.
- For a malting barley, late sowing in a dryland situation risks high grain N levels, but this can be managed under irrigation.