Key Points
- County and Optic barleys were sown in September at the FAR Arable Site with 3 sowing rates and 2 nitrogen timings.
- Dryland September sown barley yielded 4 t/ha compared with 7.5 t/ha when May sown. At the same site, irrigated barley yielded 8.4 t/ha for both May and September sowings.
- Delaying nitrogen application to GS30 resulted in lower yield due to increased tiller survival, reduced grain size and increased screenings.
- Plant populations of 300 plants/m2 in September sown barley resulted in the highest yield in both irrigated and dryland sites.
- On dryland, screenings tended to increase with plant population, but screenings were high regardless of population. Higher yields from 300 plants/m2 compensated for likely penalties due to screenings.