Full text of "Spring barley in Illinois"

See other formats

BBB

'LI E> RAR.Y

OF THL

UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS

G30.T

no
cop

N.ON CIRCULATING

CHECK FOR UNBOUND.
CIRCULATING COPY,

BARLEY

By Gr H. Dungan and
W. L. Burlison

Bulletin 485

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINi
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STAT

Acreage of barley in Illinois. Each dot represents in round numbers 500 acres
planted to barley as an average for 1939 and 1940. Spring-barley varieties are
grown in the northern part of the state and winter varieties in the southern part.

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHOOSING A VARIETY 588

Northern Illinois 588

Central Illinois 593

Southern Illinois 593

Wisconsin Barbless Best for Illinois 593

HAZARDS TO SPRING BARLEY 594

SOWING AND HARVESTING 595

SOME QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MALTING.. . 595

Urbana, Illinois

April, 1942

Publications in the Bulletin series report the results of investigations made
or sponsored by the Experiment Station

Spring Barley in Illinois

By G. H. DUNCAN and W. L. BURLISON'

PRODUCTION OF SPRING BARLEY is confined to the north-
ern half of Illinois, which lies within the southern limits of the
spring-barley area of the United States. Most of the Illinois
crop, however, is grown in the northernmost third of the state. In the
southern half of Illinois the acreage of barley has increased in recent
years but winter varieties are used almost exclusively. The spring-
barley area and the winter-barley area are separated by a wedge-
shaped section in the east-central portion of the state where practically
no barley is produced.

Acreages and yields of barley in Illinois fluctuate widely from year
to year. During the fifteen years 1927-1941 the area planted to barley,
both spring and winter varieties, ranged from a low of 80,000 acres
(1935) to a high of 624,000 acres (1928) ; the average for the period
was 249,500 acres. The acre-yield during these years ranged from an
average of 11 bushels in 1934 to 36.5 bushels in 1940.2

TABLE 1. — SMALL GRAINS: AVERAGE ACRE-YIELDS IN NORTHERN, CENTRAL,

AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND THEIR YIELD RANKING FOR THE STATE

(Tests in northern Illinois at DeKalb, 1938-1940; central Illinois, Urbana,

1938-1941; and southern Illinois, Alhambra, 1939-1941)'

Grain and Rank

Northern

Central

Southern

Northern

Central

Southern

Average

1 Winter wheat

bu.
35.7

bu.
37.5

bu.
27.3

Ib.
2 142

Ib.
2 250

Ib.
1 638

Ib.
2 010

2 Spring oats

71.6

60.4

47.4

2 291

1 933

1 517

1 914

3 Spring barley .

40.6

38.3

18.9

1 949

1 838

907

1 565

4 Winter barley

23.0

30.1

35.8

1 104

1 445

1 718

1 422

5 Spring wheat

18.8

8.5

1 128

510

933

6 Winter oats

21.2

51.5

678

1 648

775

•These years were selected because they were the only years when all six small grains were grown
on the same field.

Of the six small grains produced in Illinois, spring barley ranks
third in number of pounds of grain produced, according to the average
of tests on the University's experimental fields (Table 1). Winter
wheat ranks first and spring oats second.

'G. H. DUNCAN, Chief in Crop Production; and W. L. BURLISON, Chief in
Crop Production.

'Statistics on barley acreage and yields were furnished by the Illinois Co-
operative Crop Reporting Service, Illinois Department of Agriculture cooperating
with the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

587

588 BULLETIN No. 485 [April,

The two highest ranking crops, winter wheat and spring oats, show
the least yield fluctuation from one part of the state to another. Spring
barley, on the other hand, yields well in northern Illinois, does fairly
well in the central portion, but gives a very poor yield in the southern
part of the state. In these tests spring barley averaged 76 percent
higher yield than winter barley in northern Illinois, but in southern
Illinois yielded only 53 percent as much as winter barley. Barley
obviously is very sensitive to climatic conditions.

CHOOSING A VARIETY

Spring barleys vary widely in yielding ability, disease resistance,
kind of awn and straw, and quality of grain (Table 2). To determine
which varieties possess the greatest number of desirable characters and
are best adapted to the area, twelve varieties have been grown during
the past fifteen years on experiment fields in northern and central
Illinois. Altho spring barley is not considered adapted to southern
Illinois, two spring varieties have been tested on the Alhambra field
during the past three years.

In these tests the varieties have been rated according to the number
of bushels their yield exceeds or is exceeded by the average yield of
all varieties in the test during the same years. In 1940 and 1941 the
tests in northern and central Illinois were conducted so that the yield
data could be analyzed statistically to determine significant differences.

Northern Illinois

The results obtained on the northern Illinois fields, DeKalb (1927-
1940) and Mt. Morris (1941), are presented in Table 3.

Altho Trebi is the highest yielding variety, it has a weak, short
straw and a rough awn, and the grain is entirely unsuited for malting.
Even a slight mixture of Trebi renders any barley unfit for malting.

Regal ranks second in yield but it was grown for one year only.
It has a smooth awn but its grain has a bluish color, making it inferior
for malting.

Wisconsin Barbless ranks third with a yield of 3.7 bushels above
the average for all varieties grown the same years. It has a barbless
awn and a white comparatively mellow kernel acceptable for malting.
Because of the favorable yield of Wisconsin Barbless and the general
good quality of its grain, it is recommended over Trebi and Regal.

Even if Black Barbless had a higher yield, it would not be a good
variety to grow because of its black kernels.

Silver King, which ranks fifth, is rough awned and yields only
slightly above the average. It is a Manchuria type and is suitable
for malting.

1942]

SPRING BARLEY IN ILLINOIS

589

Trebi

Spartan

The plump rugged grain of Trebi is not suited for malting because of its
steely texture. The kernels of Oderbrucker and Wisconsin Barbless, tho
comparatively small, possess a mellowness which makes them acceptable
for malting when they are blight-free. The broad plump kernels of Spartan
are well suited for pearling. The awns of Spartan break easily, as will be
noted; in fact, many drop off in the field before the crop is harvested.

590

BULLETIN No. 485

[April,

2-
C/5

tu
0

C/)

=
O

c c

•a«

fifc

nl:

v 4J o r,

— — •—* V

.0.0 Z«.

x" " --

0303 OQOQi

J ^4!

•f* f * I I -E
O O O O O O O

II I 1

EEE

333

3 3

MM MM M MM 6? £?

c c .5 .5 .5 .£ 5 .S-S

] 111 si 5s

[Ztb "2, s- — -^'~ *"• —

I J

an*o a'*a —"5 "9 — ^
««« 31 ,28

EEE

333

3 3

S6 Hi ii ill i

P O

E E

EEE EE E

333 33 3

-8-8 "8 -g "8 "8
2S SW S S

E E

s«
•i-S

: 3 SS 3 : 5 «: ; ;

.** »-5W irj ^2 •- «

u* ^c^ fcS Sfe •£ >

-- SJS^ -S «f -8. 2! i;

BOO -SZ O« t/5w H >

- r

1942]

SPRING BARLEY IN ILLINOIS

591

> -v

— C

d4!

0« hfl

in «—
w o

H V

£«

« 8.

Q to
£ TJ

5 "S

•^ 3

£
t/j

C
X.

2S-

* ^2

<N noo

2S-

• <NI^

f
c

•& ^ sO • ^ Z* **S

S "i-£

^ . oo- • • — <s*»om -o>«O

*=»:i^;«

fjs

•ooo<

§0 -
»-?i

(S • • •<•>•«

| |Sfc

>O • i— • -lo^1 -ot^p -ooU J j;

^
aoo • -ft -i«oo(N -w ^

.s s *-

J= _C O

188

gU £

l/il/l^^iD •^•^" • -»/5 »4-i^J

^2
g - "

ill

"o < E

tJ?8
S

^.9 ^^^^N°-l^^**0(;; -S*c5

root r<» ^ ?o ^* oo oo o» o t*» o

++ ++++ 1 i 1 77? $= e

A ™ CX

l|a

.5 "§ -

!jl

isc«,S sl£
HI

ilj

« £2

?il

592

BULLETIN No. 485

i/> C

» *

<s rats

22"

22*
S-g<s

»(£,«

— -: T -r ir. c i- X ? C C

1942] SPRING BARLEY IN ILLINOIS 593

In the last two years the tests were conducted so that the yields
could be analyzed for significant differences. In 1940 Trebi, Regal,
Wisconsin Barbless, and loglos yielded significantly more than the
other varieties; in 1941 only Wisconsin Barbless produced a yield
significantly higher than the others.

Central Illinois

Trebi also leads all other varieties in yield on the test field for
central Illinois at Urbana (Table 4).

Second place is held by Spartan, a two-rowed smooth-awned
variety that matures early. Altho two-rowed barleys are suitable for
malting, they are not used by the trade in this country. Spartan,
however, is a very desirable variety for pearling.

Wisconsin Barbless is third in yielding ability, but for malting it is
recommended above all other varieties for central Illinois because it
combines desirable yield and quality factors.

Even tho Black Barbless equals Wisconsin Barbless in yield in
central Illinois, it is ruled out because of its black kernels.

Regal yields fairly well at Urbana but is low in quality. loglos,
Silver King, Velvet, Oderbrucker, and Manchuria (North Dakota
2121) are all suitable for malting but yield low.

Glabron has a stiff straw, but it yields below the average and its
kernels are rated low by the maltsters. New Era Hull-less has a rough
awn and is a feed barley only.

During the two years that the yield data were analyzed statistically
at Urbana, the varieties yielding significantly higher than the others
were Wisconsin Barbless, Trebi, and Regal in 1940 and Wisconsin
Barbless and loglos in 1941.

Southern Illinois

Only two varieties of spring barley, Spartan and Wisconsin Barb-
less, have been grown on the Alhambra field. Spartan, because of its
earliness, produced much better yields than Wisconsin Barbless (Table
5). Since in southern Illinois barley is grown almost exclusively for
feed, Spartan is the better variety for this area.

Wisconsin Barbless Is Best Variety for Illinois

Of all the spring-barley varieties tested, Wisconsin Barbless (Wis-
consin Pedigree 38) is the most desirable from the standpoint of both
yield and quality. It has a smooth awn and a white kernel. Altho its
malting qualities are not so good as those of Oderbrucker, a variety
which unfortunately yields low in Illinois, it is considered to be a very
good malting barley.

594 BULLETIN No. 485 [April,

TABLE 5.— SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: YIELDS OF VARIETIES OF SPRING BARLEY AT

ALHAMBRA, 1939-1941
(Bushels per acre; date of seeding indicated under year)

Bushels

above ( +)

Rank Variety

or below
(-)the
average

Average
yield

1939
Mar. 22

1940
Apr. 1

1941
Mar. 25b

of all

varieties*

1 Spartan

. +2.7

25.4

31.2

19.6

2 Wisconsin Barbless (Wis. Pedigree 38) .

. -2.7

10.1

11.4

8.7

Average

. 11.4

31.2

14.2

•Grown the same years as the variety indicated. Wielding ability of these two varieties can be
compared for 1941 only, since only one of them was planted in each of the other two years.

Wisconsin Barbless, ranking near the top in yielding ability, takes
advantage of a long growing period to fill its grain. It is later matur-
ing than the other varieties but it apparently possesses resistance to
injury from the early summer heat.

Besides its ability to stand the heat, Wisconsin Barbless also shows
resistance to stripe disease. Growers who are not equipped to treat
their seed with New Improved Ceresan but plant this variety will not
suffer heavy losses during a season when this disease is prevalent.

In threshing there is danger that part of the glume will be torn
from the back of the kernel. This occurs because the awn is not so
brittle as that of most varieties and does not easily break at the tip of
the kernel. The tearing of the glumes can be avoided if proper adjust-
ments are made in the threshing machine or combine.

HAZARDS TO SPRING BARLEY

The most serious hazards to spring barley are: hot, dry weather
during the time the grain is filling, epidemics of scab disease, and
damage by chinch bugs.

Hot weather injury to spring barley can generally be avoided if
seeding is done early. The plants will make a deep root growth and
stool abundantly during the cool, short days and the grain will ripen
early. Even tho hot weather comes before the crop is entirely mature,
it will cause little reduction in the yield and quality of the grain if the
process of filling is well advanced and the plants are deeply rooted.

The scab disease hazard can be reduced by sowing barley on soy-
bean stubble or on plowed cornstalk land. The disease is caused by
the fungus, Gibberella saubinetii, which attacks corn as well as small
grains. If the cornstalks are left on top of the ground and the land is
disked instead of being plowed, the spores of this fungus can be

1942] SPRING BARLEY IN ILLINOIS 595

carried from the cornstalks to the heads of the barley, especially if the
weather is muggy during the time the grain is filling. When cornstalks
are plowed under cleanly the source of infection is removed.

Barley growers know from experience that it is important to pre-
vent scab disease. A scab-infected crop cannot be satisfactorily fed to
horses or hogs and it is not acceptable for malting.

Since the chinch bug hazard is seldom serious in northern Illinois,
barley may be grown in this area with comparative safety. It should
be borne in mind, however, that barley is one of the chinch bug's most
favored food plants and, if chinch bugs are abundant, they will cause
serious trouble. The adjoining cornfields will be damaged after the
barley has been killed or harvested.

SOWING AND HARVESTING

Spring barley may take the place of oats or some other spring crop
in the rotation. It also fits in nicely after fall-seeded small grain which
has been winterkilled. When seeded lightly spring barley is one of the
best companion crops for small-seeded legumes and grasses because the
plants give comparatively little shade during the grain-ripening period.
They have rather wide leaf blades but the leaves die early.

For the best results use clean seed treated with New Improved
Ceresan or some other disinfectant effective in controlling seedling
blight. The seed should be sowed preferably with a drill at the rate of
about 8 pecks an acre. Early seeding is so important, however, that if
drilling causes an appreciable delay, it is better to seed broadcast. If
the seed is broadcast, about 10 pecks an acre are needed.

When the crop is mature the plants are subject to lodging because
the straw is weak. Even when barley lodges badly it can ordinarily
be harvested with a combine. Whether the crop is harvested with a
combine or a binder it should be threshed before the quality of the
grain is impaired by weather damage.

SOME QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MALTING

Barley is used in two ways — for feed and for industrial purposes,
mainly for malt. Quality requirements are in most respects the same,
but malting barley must meet the following standards not required of
feed barley:

Germination should be high since nonviable kernels will yield no
malt.

Uniform ripeness is important. Therefore green patches in the
field should not be harvested with the rest of the crop.

Soundness is much more important than test weight per bushel. An

5% BULLETIN No. 485

appreciable amount of damage, whether from disease, weathering, or
mechanical injury, will make barley unfit for malting. Close threshing
is especially harmful. If the awns are broken off too close, the kernels
will be skinned. To prevent this type of injury the grain should be
examined frequently as it is being threshed and adjustments made in
the combine or separator.

Mellowness is very desirable in malting barley. It is recognized by
a chalky appearance of the cut kernel, whereas flinty or steely barleys
appear hard and glassy when cut. Mellowness usually develops when
the season is cool and ripening is not hastened. Barley grown in Illi-
nois usually ranks high in mellowness, but some varieties are inherently
better in this respect than others.

The kind of variety and its purity also determine suitability for
malting. Only a few varieties, such as Oderbrucker, Wisconsin Barb-
less, Velvet, and Manchuria, are acceptable to the maltster, and these
varieties must be free from even a slight mixture with other types.

SPRING BARLEY is adapted to the northern half of Illi-
nois, which lies within the spring-barley area of the United
States.

Wisconsin Barbless (Wisconsin Pedigree 38) is the best
all-round variety for Illinois. It is smooth-awned, high-
yielding, and suitable for malting. It also possesses resist-
ance to stripe disease.

In the southern part of the state, where spring barley is
not well suited, the best variety is Spartan. It is a smooth-
awned, two-rowed variety suitable for pearling and feeding.
It matures early and tillers abundantly.

15,050—4-42—23426

AUTHOR INDEX

597

AUTHOR INDEX

1. ASHBY, R.C., WEBB, R.J..HED-

LUND, E. C., and BULL, S. Re-
tailer and Consumer Reaction
to Graded and Branded
Beef 337-392

2. BIGGER, J. H. See COPPER 10, 11

3. BOLIN, O. See COPPER 10, 11

4. BONNETT, O. T. See DUNCAN 16

5. BRANDLY, C. A. Propagation of

Fowl- and Pigeon- Pox Viruses
in Avian Eggs and Use of Egg-
Cultivated Viruses for Immun-
ization 309-336

6. BRANDLY, C. A. See GRAHAM 18

7. BULL, S., SNAPP, R. R., and

RUSK, H. P. Effect of Pasture

on Grade of Beef 225-256

8. BULL, S. See ASHBY 1

9. BURLISON, W. L. See DUNCAN

14, 15, 16

10. COPPER, R. R., DUNCAN, G. H.,

LANG, A. L., BIGGER, J. H.,
KOEHLER, B., and BOLIN, O.
Illinois Corn Performance
Tests, 1940 173-224

11. COPPER, R. R., DUNCAN, G. H.,

LANG, A. L., BIGGER, J. H.,
KOEHLER, B., and BOLIN, O.
Illinois Corn Performance
Tests, 1941 473-528

12. DF/TURK, E. E. The Problem of

Phosphate Fertilizers 541-584

13. DORSEY, M. J. The Low-Tem-

perature Hazard to Set of Fruit

in the Apple 145-172

14. DUNCAN, G. H., and BURLISON,

W. L. Spring Barley in Illi-
nois . . . . 585-596

15. DUNCAN, G. H., and BURLISON,

VV. L. Spring Wheat : Adapta-
bility for Illinois 529-540

16. DUNCAN, G. H., BONNETT, O.

T., and BURLISON, W. L.
Spring Oat Varieties for Illi-
nois 441-472

17. DUNCAN, G. H. See COPPER 10,

18. GRAHAM, R., and BRANDLY, C.

A. Immunization Against Pox

in Domestic Fowl 1-76

19. HEDLUND, E. C. See ASHBY 1

20. JOHNS, IDA D. See LINDSTROM

21. KOEHLER, B. Effect of Storage

on Yields of Farm Seed Treat-
ed for Disease Control .... 257-276

22. KOEHLER, B. See COPPER 10, 11

23. LANG, A. L. See COPPER 10, 11

24. LINDSTROM, D. E., and JOHNS,

IDA D. Rural Relief in Illinois;
A Study of Home Assistance in
Thirteen Counties 393-440

25. LLOYD, J. W. Range of Adapta-

tion of Certain Varieties of
Vegetable-Type Soybeans . . 77-100

26. NORTON, L. J. Business Poli-

cies of Country Grain Eleva-
tors 277-308

27. RUSK, H. P. See BULL 7

28. SNAPP, R. R. See BULL 7

29. WEBB, R. J. See ASHBY 1

30. WINTERS, E. The Migration of

Iron and Manganese in Col-
loidal Systems 101-144

598 INDEX

INDEX

APPLE, THE LOW-TEMPERATURE HAZARD TO SET OF FRUIT IN THE 145-170

literature cited 170

summary and conclusions 169-170

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Spring barley in Illinois"

See other formats