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W Texas | Barley got squeezed out of the South Plains due to USDA policy, rather than agronomics, IMO.
There are several fairly good varieties for your area, but cold tolerance is not as good as wheat or triticale.
It will brown over and look dead, but comes on just fine in the spring and finishes earlier than wheat. On irrigated ground in warmer winter climate, it is a great double crop option.
I have never combined it. It is too good for silage or hay for anyone to consider combining it here. Quality is far better than triticale for silage and better than wheat, as well.
If you do grow it that far north, grazing it would limit your winterkill risk.
My favorite forage variety is P919. But it is hard to find clean seed. In my experience, around 10% of heads will be bearded. If you want a perfect field, only way to do it is to rouge a small plot and combine that for your own seed. P919 does not need to vernalize and is an option for spring planting, but won't yield as well as a fall planting.
If you do try it, limit your risk by doing a small fraction of your ground. Plant it on a well fenced irrigated area and make sure you have twice as many calves as you would normally push out on wheat. | |
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Anyone planting barley for grain not malting?
