Barley Agronomy Program
Barley is grown for malt, feed grain, human food and forage. Idaho produced 55 million bushels of barley in 2020 on 500,000 harvested acres at an average yield of 110 bushels per acre (USDA NASS 2020 State Agriculture Overview, Idaho, Feb. 8, 2022). Approximately 75% of Idaho’s barley is grown under irrigation allowing barley producers to consistently produce high yielding barley that consistently meets end-user quality specifications 95% of the time.
Research
Research at the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center focuses on sustainable irrigated and dryland barley production strategies with emphasis on soil nutrient management for yield, end-use quality (malt, feed, food and forage), plant health, and soil and water quality. The program is currently conducting the following research projects.
Barley Yield and Protein Response to Nitrogen and Sulfur Rates and Application Timing (2021-2023)
Funded by: Idaho Barley Commission, Stukenholtz Laboratories, American Malting Barley Association
Objectives
- Assess the effect of variety and the rate of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) application on plant nutrient utilization, grain yield and protein, and soil responses for three barley varieties
- Identify the critical concentration ranges of N and S for developing correlated tissue test guidelines for malt, feed and food barley under Idaho growing conditions
- Develop a correlation-calibration response curve to establish the relationship between plant tissue N and S content with active canopy sensors for Idaho growing conditions
Active Canopy Sensors to Prescribe In-Season Supplemental Nitrogen for Barley and Wheat (2021-2023)
Funded by: Idaho Barley Commission (IBC) and Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC)
- 2021 IBC annual report-sensors (pdf)
- 2022 IBC annual report-sensors (pdf)
- 2023 IBC annual report-sensors (pdf)
- 2021 IWC annual report-sensors (pdf)
- 2022 IWC annual report-sensors (pdf)
- 2023 IWC annual report-sensors (pdf)
Objectives
- Determine food, feed, and malt barley yield and grain protein response to in-season N application
- Determine hard red, hard white and soft white wheat yield and grain protein response to in-season N application
- Assess if split-applications can be done to achieve yield and protein goals for different barley and wheat classes
- Develop crop sensor algorithms for Idaho conditions for different barley and wheat classes
Malt Barley Yield and Grain Metabolite Response to Nitrogen and Sulfur Grown Outside the Snake River Plain (2023-2025)
Funded by: Idaho Barley Commission, American Malting Barley Association, The FERT Foundation, USDA ARS Wisconsin Small Grains Research Lab
Objectives
- Assess the effect of liquid and dry S fertilizer rates and sources on two contrasting malt barley lines grown outside the Snake River plain in terms of grain yield, quality and grain metabolite species.
- Evaluate liquid and dry N fertilizer stabilizer/protection products for malt barley yield and grain quality.
Planting Dates, Seeding Rates and Available Moisture for Dryland Winter Wheat Yields (2022-2024)
Funded by: Idaho Wheat Commission
Objectives
- Evaluate the effect of dryland winter wheat planting date and seeding rate on soil moisture availability, nitrogen use efficiency, and grain quality and yield
- Assess the relationship of available water and spring rainfall with dryland winter wheat grain yield.
Improving Nitrogen Management in Southeast Idaho Dryland Winter Wheat (2023-2024)
Funded by: Idaho Wheat Commission
Objectives
- Evaluate the effects of different combinations of N sources, rates, application timings, and advanced fertilizer technologies on the overall stand, yield and grain quality of wheat
Hi-Nitrogen Fixing Alfalfa Credits for Fall and Spring Malt Barley and Wheat Production (2023-2025)
Funded by: University of Idaho Extension
Objectives
- Quantify the effect of fall tillage following Hi-Nitro alfalfa termination on the timing of N availability and uptake, yield and grain quality to the subsequent winter malt barley or soft white wheat crop.
- Quantify the effect of spring tillage following first-year dormant and non-dormant alfalfa cultivars’ on the timing of soil N supply and plant N uptake to malt barley or wheat over two subsequent growing seasons.
- Quantify malt barley and wheat grain quality over two subsequent growing seasons.
- Utilize aerial thermal and multispectral drone imagery and handheld sensors to evaluate canopy greenness, canopy cover and vegetative indices for predicting barley and wheat N deficiencies.
- Evaluate the economic budget of incorporating annual alfalfa-barley-barley or alfalfa-wheat-wheat into a southern Idaho crop rotation
Optimizing Nutrient Management in Irrigated Culinary Mustard for Spice Production (2023-2025)
Funded by: Idaho Oilseed Commission, Idaho State Department of Agriculture
Objectives
- Evaluate the optimal fertilizer rates (N, P, S) and seeding rates to optimize yellow, oriental, and brown mustard yield under southern Idaho irrigated growing conditions.
- Evaluate the timing of N applications’ (all applied at planting; split-applied at planting and the rosette stage; split-applied at planting and the bud stage; split-applied at planting, the rosette stage and the bud stage) effect on yellow, oriental and brown mustard yield and oilseed quality.
- Evaluate the effect of soil and foliar applications of copper, zinc, manganese and boron on irrigated culinary yellow, oriental and brown mustard yield and spice quality.
- Evaluate the effect of seeding rate on irrigated culinary yellow, oriental and brown mustard yield and spice quality.
Liming for Improved Nutrient Utilization and Weed Management (2021-2024)
Funded by: Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC), Idaho Barley Commission (IBC), Western SARE OW23-383
- 2021 IWC annual report-liming (pdf)
- 2022 IWC annual report-liming (pdf)
- 2023 IWC annual report-liming (pdf)
- 2023 IBC annual report-liming (pdf)
Objectives
- Evaluate how liming modifies soil nutrient availability, plant nutrient uptake, and grain quality and yield
- Evaluate the effect of liming on weed pressure
- Perform a survey of southern Idaho acidic soils’ physical and chemical properties and weed seed census
Timing of Forage Cereal Harvest on Yield and Livestock Feed Quality (2021-2024)
Funded by: University of Idaho Extension, KWS Seeds
Objectives
- Evaluate the effect of four different harvest timings on forage barley and oat yield, feed quality and stand regrowth
- Evaluate the effect of N rate on forage barley and oat yield, feed quality and stand regrowth
- Jacob Bevan, Research Technician
- Janhvi Pandey, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate
- Brent Ure, M.S. Plant Science Graduate Student
- Prranoyaw Eeturu, M.S. Environmental Science Graduate Student (Graduated 2023)
- Olanrewaju Adeyemi, M.S. Plant Science Graduate Student (Graduated 2023)
- Kaone Mookodi, M.S. Plant Science Graduate Student (Graduated 2023)
Barley must meet strict quality criteria to be acceptable for malt production. Maintaining tight controls on these quality factors in the grain is necessary to ensure good processing efficiency and final product quality in the malthouse and brewery. High quality malting barley should have the following characteristics:
- Pure lot of an acceptable variety
- Germination of 95% or higher
- Protein content raging between 9.5% to 12.5% (dry basis)
- Moisture content below 13.5%
- Plump and uniform kernels
- Free of disease and low DON content
- Less than 5% of peeled, broken or damaged kernels
- Clean and free of insects, admixtures, ergot or foreign material
(Aaron MacLeod, Understanding Malting Barley Quality)
Additional resources
