Spring Barley variety evaluations at Western Triangle Ag. Research Center

Principle Investigator: Gadi V.P. Reddy, Superintendent and Associate Professor of Entomology/Insect Ecology, Western Triangle Ag Research Center

Personnel: John H. Miller, Research Associate and Julie Prewett, Research Assistant WTARC, Conrad, MT, and Jamie Sherman and Liz Elmore, MSU PSPP Dept., Bozeman, MT.

Cooperators: Bradley Farms, north of Cut Bank, MT Brian Aklestad, north of Devon, MT Aaron Killion, east of Brady, MT Inbody Farms, northeast of Choteau, MT

Objectives: There are diverse cropping environments within the area served by Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center. Each off station location has its own unique environment and soils. Producers in the various locations are interested in variety performance in the local area.

To this end the objective is to evaluate spring barley varieties under the local conditions with respect to yield, test weight, plant height, plump seed, thin seed and seed protein. The environmental conditions at the off station nurseries can vary greatly from those at WTARC. The research center strives to provide growers of the western triangle area unbiased information of various spring barley varieties.

Methods: Barley was separated into malt/feed and hull-less varieties. On station nurseries consist of dryland and irrigated intrastate malt/feed barley, 49 entries, and dryland and irrigated hull-less barley, 16 entries. Off station barley nurseries consist of 16 entries replicated three times, seeded with a four row plot seeder on one foot spacing. All plots were planted on no-till chemical fallow. Plots were trimmed, measured for length, then harvested with a Hege 140 plot combine. Spring barley seed was cleaned prior to collecting data.

Results: Table 1 and 2 are data from the dryland intrastate malt/feed barley trial. Tables 3 and 4 are for the irrigated intrastate malt/feed barley nursery. Tables 5 thru 13 are for off station barley nurseries and tables 14 and 15 are for the dryland and irrigated hull-less intrastate nurseries.

Overall, the crop year temperatures where close to the 29 year average at the research center with the exception of 2.5 inches less moisture than the 29 year average. The winter temperature was close to average, with the exception of November being 8 degrees cooler than usual. March was 7 degrees warmer than the normal. Also June was 4.6 degrees warmer compared to the 29 year average.

Soil temperatures at the station under chemical fallow stubble stayed under 40 degrees at a depth of eight inches until mid April. May was cool with slightly above average precipitation. Early in June we received 0.95 inches, then it warmed up and remained dry for about 30 days, during that time the barley was running out of water as it was heading. July had normal amounts of rain.

Yields for the dryland intrastate malt/feed nursery ranged from 67.0 to 102.5 bu/ac with an average test weight of 51.0 bu/ac. Plump average was 92.2 % with an average of 9.4 % seed protein. Irrigated intrastate malt/feed nursery had a range of 90.2 to 144.0 bu/ac with a average test weight of 52.8. The nursery averaged 95.3% plump and 11.7 % seed protein.

The hull-less dryland barley intrastate nursery had an average yield of 3472.9 lbs/ac with an average test weight of 55.3 lbs/bu and 14.1 % grain protein. Irrigated hull-less barley trial had a average yield of 5042.8 lbs/ac and an average test weight of 57.7 lbs/bu and 14.8 % average seed protein.

Yields for the irrigated off station spring barley nursery, averaged 124.7 bu/ac, with an average kernel plumpness of 89.6%, a mean protein of 11.9%, and an average test weight of 51.1 lb/bu (Table 5). Three year means from the irrigated off station nursery are tabulated in Table 6.

Grain yields averaged 50.0 bu/acre at the Knees, 36.8 bu/ac north of Devon, and 82.6 bu/ac at the Choteau site. Kernel plumpness averaged 79.4 % and test weight averaged 50.7 lbs/bu at the Devon site while kernel plumpness averaged 83.2% and test weight averaged 45.2 lbs/bu at the Knees. Choteau kernel plumpness was 87.1 % and test weight averaged 52.0 lbs/bu. The nursery at Cut Bank averaged 60.7 bu/ac, 50.3 lb/bu, 93.5% plumps, with 11.1 % seed protein. Top yielding varieties at the Knees were Champion, Harrington and Metcalfe, yields were 58.3, 57.6, and 56.7 bu/a. Whereas, the top yielding barleys north of Devon, Champion, Lavina and Merit yielded 47.6, 46.4 and 43.8 bu/ac. Yielding highest at the Choteau site were Lavina, Haxby and the Montana State University experimental variety MT100126, with yields of 95.7, 92.4 and 90.7 bu/ac. High yielding varieties at Cut Bank were Hockett, 70.2 bu/ac, Champion, 68.2 bu/ac and Haxby, 67.8 bu/ac. There is no long term data table for the Cut Bank location as it has suffered severe hail damage for the last two out of five years.

Summary: The data from the off station plots is supported by the local producers and advisory committee as well as the seed industry. It is planned to continue the off station variety plots at the same locations as the environmental conditions at each location is unique to the western triangle area. No insect incidence or damage was noticed in any of the varieties.

These data should be used for comparative purposes rather than using absolute numbers. Statistics are used to indicate that treatment or variety differences are really different and are not different due to chance or error. The least significant difference (LSD) and coefficient of variability (CV) values are useful in comparing treatment or variety differences. The LSD value represents the smallest difference between two treatments at a given probably level. The LSD at p=0.05 or 5 % probability level is usually the statistic reported, and it means that the odds are 19 to 1 that treatment differences by the amount of the LSD are truly different. The CV value measures the variability of the experiment or variety trial, and a CV greater than 15 % indicates a high degree of variability and less accuracy.

Funding Summary: Office of Sponsored Programs will provide expenditure information. No other grants support this project.

Table 1. Intrastate barley, malt/feed variety trial, Conrad 2015.

Planted April 10, 2015 on chemical fallow barley stubble. Harvest July 30, 2015.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 12-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season precipitation: 4.74 inches.

Preplant sprayed with RT3 at 32 oz per acre on 4/8/15.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 2. 5-year Means, intrastate barley (malt/feed) varieties, Conrad, MT, 2009, 2011-2015.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 3. Irrigated intrastate malt/feed barley variety trial, Conrad 2015.

Planted April 22, 2015 on fallow. Harvest August 19, 2015.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 60-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on a yield goal of 90 bu/a.

Growing season precipitation: 5.59 inches. Irrigation = 9.9 inches Preplant sprayed with RT3 at 32 oz/a on 4/22/2015.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 4. 5-year Means, Intrastate irrigated barley varieties, Conrad, MT, 2009, 2011-2015.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 5. 2015 Irrigated off station barley variety trial, Conrad, MT.

Planted April 22, 2015 on fallow. Harvest August 19, 2015

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 60-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season precipitation: 5.59 inches. Irrigation = 9.9 inches Preplant sprayed with RT3 at 32 oz/a on 4/22/15.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 6. 3-year Means, Irrigated off station barley varieties, Conrad, MT, 2013-2015.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 7. Off-station spring barley variety trial located in the Choteau area. Western Triangle Ag.

Research Center. 2015.

Planted April 24, 2015 on chemical fallow. Harvest August 11, 2015.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season Precipitation: Tipped over when ditches were pulled up to the road surface. Herbicide: None

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 8. 4-year means, off station barley varieties, Choteau, MT, 2012-2015.

Location: Inbody Farms, Choteau, MT

MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 9. Off-station barley variety trial located north of Cut Bank, MT. Glacier county. Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2015.

Cooperator and Location: Bradley Farms, northern Glacier county. Planted April 30, 2015 on chem-fallow. Harvested August 24, 2015. Fertilizer, actual lbs/a: 11-22.5-0 with seed at planting.

Sprayed with Huskie at 11 oz/a and Axial XL at 16.4 oz/a on 6/4/2015. Precipitation from 4/30/2015 until harvest was: 4.2 inches.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 10. Off-station barley variety trial located north of Devon, MT. Toole county. Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2015.

Cooperator and Location: Brian Aklestad farm, north east of Devon. Planted April 27, 2015 on chemical fallow. Harvest August 12, 2015.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 30-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season precipitation: 1.25 inches. Rain gauge was cracked at some point during growing season.

Herbicide: The plot area was pre-plant sprayed with 32 oz/a RT3 on 4/27/2015. The plots were sprayed with Huskie at 11 oz/a and Axial XL at 16.4 oz/a on 6/11/2015.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 11. 5-year means, off station barley varieties, Devon, MT, 2011-2015.

Location: Brian Aklestad

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 12. Off-station spring barley variety trial located in the Knees area. Western Chouteau County. Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2015.

Cooperator and Location: Aaron Killion, western Chouteau County.

Planted April 23, 2015 on chemical fallow winter wheat stubble. Harvest August 31, 2015. Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 0-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season precipitation: 4.0 inches.

Herbicide: The plot area was pre-plant sprayed with 32 oz/a RT3 on 4/23/15. Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 13. 5-year means, off station barley varieties, knees area, MT, 2013-2015.

Location: Killion Farms, Brady MT

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 14. Hull-less dryland intrastate barley variety trial, Conrad 2015.

Planted April 10, 2015 on chemical fallow barley stubble. Harvest August 3, 2015.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 12-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley.

Growing season precipitation: 4.74 inches.

Preplant sprayed with RT3 at 32 oz per acre on 4/8/15.

1 Yields for hull-less barley reported in lbs/ac

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Table 15 Hull-less irrigated intrastate barley variety trial, Conrad 2015.

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Planted April 22, 2014 on chemical fallow barley stubble. Harvest August 3, 2014.

Fertilizer, actual (lbs/a): 11-22-0 place with seed at planting, 12-0-20 broadcast while seeding. Fertilizer rates are based on achieving malt grade barley. Growing season precipitation: 4.54 inches.

Preplant sprayed with RT3 at 20oz per acre on 4/24/14.

1 Yields for hull-less barley reported in lbs/ac

Location: MSU Western Triangle Ag Research Center, Conrad, MT.