13.Barely done.docx

Barley Type of cereal Member of Gramineae family Many types/varieties of barley Most widely grown in Ireland - 200,000 hectares grown annually. Barley is used for Animal feed, Fermentation, bedding Straw (by-product) can be made for round bales, malting barley and Feeding barley The pH of soil is...

Barley Type of cereal Member of Gramineae family Many types/varieties of barley Most widely grown in Ireland - 200,000 hectares grown annually. Barley is used for Animal feed, Fermentation, bedding Straw (by-product) can be made for round bales, malting barley and Feeding barley The pH of soil is important a pH 6.5 or greater is optimum for barley. Climate- Moisture is important for barley growth. Droughts will seriously effect on farmers’ crops. Southeast of the country is best for growing barley. Preparation of seed bed is important there are 2 varieties: winter and spring barley. Winter barley Soil must be ploughed in autumn and then harrowed. It is much less intensive than spring barley. Spring barley cannot be ploughed in Autumn due to nitrates directive to prevent nitrogen leeching. Land should be rolled to ensure good seed contact Conservation tillage Is a method of cultivation where ploughing is not carried out at any stage it is mainly confined to winter cereals. It reduces labour costs and energy consumption. Sowing Winter barley is sown in September. By October 1st it reaches optimum sowing time. If sown before October, the plant grows too tall before winter which will cause lodging. Lodging is when cereal crops to bend over so that they lie flat on the ground making it difficult to harvest the crop and reducing its yield. Spring barley is sown between Feb - April and the later barley is sown, the less profit for the farmer. Seeding rate: Is weather-dependent. The closer it gets to December, the more seeds a farmer has to plant. The seeding rate increases due to weather conditions worsening, particularly the increased chance of frost. Certified seeds are tested in labs. Fertiliser: Fertilisers are used to help the growing rates of crops they contain the elements N, P & K in different ratios such as 10:10:20 and 18:6:12. In Ireland, there are laws surrounding the application of fertilisers. The nitrates directive is responsible for providing the rules and regulations of fertiliser application and more. Diseases, pests and weed control Leaf Blotch is a fungal disease spread by rain. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that turns the underside of leaves yellow Leaf rust is a fungal disease that causes premature death of leaves Barely dwarf virus BYDV is a viral disease transmitted by aphids Leatherjackets are crane fly larvae that feed on the crop reducing yield Wireworms are click beetle larvae that hatch and feed on crops Harvest, yield and storage: Leaves will bend and be parallel to stem when crop is ripe. Grains will be hard and dry with a golden colour. Moisture content is important to be low. Farmers get paid on moisture content of grain. Grain Must be stored in ventilated sheds and Grain is treated with acid which prevents grain being attacked by pests, fungi and bacteria. Barley yield must be a 8-9 4.2 in July and 6- 8 3.6 in August