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To provide growers in south central Montana with a reliable, unbiased, up-to-date source of information that will permit valid comparisons among improved spring barley varieties. This information should help spring barley producers in south central Montana select varieties best suited to their particular area and growing conditions.
The 2021 off-station spring barley trials were conducted under dryland conditions at Huntley, and Broadview and under irrigation near Fromberg and Hysham Montana (Fig. 1). Thirty spring barley entries comprised of 19 commercial cultivars and 11 experimental lines, representing both feed and malt types, were grown at all locations.
All studies were planted using either a partially-balanced lattice or RCB design with three replications. All entries were seeded at approximately 0.6 million seeds per acre (~14 seed per square foot under dryland conditions and 1.0 million seeds per acre (~24 seed per square foot) under irrigation.
Dryland test plots consisted of a 16-foot, 4-row plot with 12-inch row spacing, while irrigated plots were 16-foot, 7-row with 7-inch row spacing. All rows of each test plot were trimmed 36 inches and harvested using an experimental-plot combine. Recorded grain yields were adjusted to 13% grain moisture content, and are reported in bushels per acre based on a 48 pound standard bushel weight. Test weight (lb/bu, pounds per bushel) and grain moisture content (%, percent) were obtained for each plot using a Dickey-John GAC 2100 grain analyzer. Grain protein (%, percent) was estimated using near infrared spectroscopy and is reported on a 12% moisture basis. Plant height was measured in inches from the soil surface to the top of the head, excluding the awns if present. Lodging severity, where observed, was recorded on a 0 to 9 scale representing no lodging (0) to all stems lying flat on the ground (9). Percent plump and thin kernels were determined by measuring the amount of a ~100 gram sub-sample retained above a 6-64” slotted screen and passing through a 5½-64” slotted screen, respectively, following 30 oscillations on a Strand sizer shaker.
The 2021 spring barley test sites had below average rain or snow accumulation during winter months except in October 2020. Below average precipitation was observed throughout the 2021 barley growing season particularly during grain filling period. The precipitation during the months of March and April provided some moisture for spring barley emergence and early stand establishment. Below average rainfall in June and July (0.4 and 0.1 inches respectively) coupled with higher than normal temperatures resulted in heat and drought stress during grain filling period that caused crop failure or reduced barley yield. The 2021 growing season was one of the hottest years on record. The average temperature during June and July was 6.4 and 5.1 °F above the long-term average. The dryland barley plots at Broadview suffered severe yield loss and were not harvest.
The dryland spring barley yield at Huntley averaged 42 bu/ac in 2021 (Table 1), about half of 2020 yield at this location. Yield ranged from 24 bu/ac for ‘Haybet’ to 58 bu/ac for ’BC Lexy’. Three other entries with yields ranging from 51 to 54 bu/ac were statistically equal to the highest yielding cultivar. Test weight averaged 47.5 lb/bu and ranged from 43.5 to 59.1 lb/bu. Grain protein content were very high and averaged 18.3 percent. The percentage of plump kernels was only 47.5 percent in the harvested grain. Percentage of thin kernels averaged 7.8 percent. Overall barley quality was poor this year at this location. The average yield over the past two- (2020 and 2021) and three-years (2018 and 2020-21) for barley cultivars tested at Huntley under dryland condition was 58 and 68 bu/ac respectively.
Limited or no lodging was observed for barley cultivars at Fromberg in 2021 averaging a score of 0.4 (Table 2). Spring barley yield averaged 90 bu/ac under irrigation. Yield was reduced due to high temperature stress and loss of irrigation for 2 weeks in July at Fromberg compared to previous years. Yield ranged from 62 bu/ac for experimental line ‘MT16H09308’ to 105 bu/ac for ‘BC Ellinor’. Eleven other barley entries produced yield statistically equal to the highest yielding cultivar. Test weight averaged 50.2 lb/bu and ranged from 47.6 lb/bu to 58.0 lb/bu. Grain protein averaged 11.9 percent ranging from a low of 10.6 for ‘MT17M02507’ to 13.4 for MT16H09308. The percentage of plump kernels averaged 86.5 percent in the harvested grain. Percentage of thin kernels averaged 2.2 percent. The average yield for barley cultivars tested over the past Two (2020-21) and three-year (2019-2021) was 108 and 116 bu/ac respectively.
No lodging of barley was observed at Hysham in 2021. Spring barley yield under irrigation at Hysham averaged 132 bu/ac (Table 3). Yield ranged from 75 bu/ac for ‘MT16F02902’ to 158 bu/ac for BC Ellinor and ‘KWS Jessie’. Nine other cultivars also produced grain yield that was statistically equal to the highest yielding cultivars. Average test weight was 52.7 lb/bu and ranged from 47.9 to 63.2 lb/bu. Grain protein content averaged 13.0 percent and ranged from 11.9 to 13.3 percent. Barley quality was good at Hysham where mean percent plump and thin kernels were 89.4 and 1.9 percent, respectively. Two- and three-year averaged yield for barley cultivars tested during 2019 to 2021 at Hysham was 125 bu/ac. The cultivar ‘BC Leandra’ was the highest yielding entry averaged over the past two years at Hysham.
Relatively higher grain yield was observed for the irrigated spring wheat trial at Huntley which averaged 93 bu/acre in 2021 (Table 4). This location has the highest grain yield among locations tested this year. Grain yield ranged from 81 bu/acre for MT1931 to 107 bu/acre for experimental line ‘MT1904’. Sixteen other entries produced yield statistically equal to that of highest yielding entry. Test weight averaged 63.0 lb/bu and all entries have test weight of 60 lb/bu or more. Grain protein levels were high and averaged 14.7 percent. All entries had grain protein content above 13 percent. Grain yield over the past two- and three-years was 103 and 92 bu/acre respectively under irrigation at Huntley.
Hot and dry conditions were observed during the 2021 barley growing season particularly during the grain filling period causing crop failure or severely reducing the barley yield at dryland test locations. The 2021 growing season was one of the hottest year on record in south central Montana. Averaged across all locations, cultivar KWS Jessie was the top yielding cultivar producing 104 bu/ac. (Table 4). BC Ellinor had the highest yield under irrigated condition (131 bu/ac), while BC Lexy produced the highest yield under dryland condition (58 bu/ac) (Table 4). Averaged across all locations, two- and three-year average grain yield was 97 and 95 bu/ac respectively (Table 5). LCS Odyssey was the highest yielding cultivar averaged across all test sites for 2019-2021 (Table 5) Averaged across all locations grain protein content was 14.4 percent. Overall test weight averaged 50.1 lb/bu while percent plump averaged 75 (Table 5), and was higher 88 percent under irrigation (Table 6).