Barley

https://agri.bot/crop-calendar/barley

A hardy Rabi cereal grown mainly on marginal, salt-affected and rainfed soils of north-west India. More tolerant of drought and salinity than wheat and used for feed, malt and food.

Twelve-month operations

Fertilizer schedule

For irrigated conditions, ICAR-IIWBR recommends 60:30:20 kg NPK/ha; half the N and full P and K at sowing, remaining N with the first irrigation (CRI, ~25 – 30 DAS). Rainfed crops: 40:20:0 kg NPK/ha, all basal. Zinc deficiency (common in NW plains) is corrected with 25 kg zinc sulphate/ha once every 3 years.

Pest & disease management

Yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis), stripe rust and loose smut are the key diseases; aphids, army worm and shoot fly are the key pests. Follow ICAR-IIWBR seasonal rust advisories and use seed treatment with carboxin / tebuconazole against loose smut.

Irrigation

Barley is more drought-tolerant than wheat and typically needs only 2 – 3 irrigations: crown root initiation (~25 DAS), late tillering / jointing, and flowering. Avoid irrigation at maturity to prevent lodging.

Sources

• ICAR-IIWBR — Indian Institute of Wheat & Barley Research
• ICAR-IIWBR Barley Package of Practices
• FAO — Barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Frequently asked questions

Why grow barley instead of wheat?

Barley is better suited to marginal land — it tolerates salinity, alkalinity and drought more than wheat, matures in 115 – 125 days (shorter than wheat), and needs only 2 – 3 irrigations instead of 4 – 6. On saline / sodic soils of Haryana, Rajasthan and western UP, barley often out-yields wheat and gives a secure Rabi income. It also has established buyers in malt (beer, malt extract) and feed segments.

What is the recommended seed rate for barley?

ICAR-IIWBR recommends 80 – 100 kg/ha for timely-sown irrigated conditions and 100 – 125 kg/ha for late-sown or rainfed conditions. Use bold, graded, treated seed of a notified variety such as DWRB 219, DWRB 182 (hulless), RD 2794 or RD 2552 for your zone.

Which barley varieties are released for malt use?

ICAR-IIWBR has released several two-row malt varieties — DWRB 219, DWRB 182 and DWRB 123 — that meet the specifications used by Indian maltsters (United Breweries, Barmalt, Cargill). Malt-grade barley typically commands a 15 – 25% price premium over feed barley, but needs lower nitrogen fertilisation to keep grain protein under 11.5%.

What is the current MSP for barley?

Barley has a government-declared Minimum Support Price under the Rabi crops basket, announced annually by CACP and procured through state agencies. See our MSP page for the latest declared rate and procurement centres.

How can I control Phalaris minor (gullidanda) in barley?

Phalaris minor is the main grassy weed in barley–wheat rotations of NW India. Use clodinafop (60 g a.i./ha) or sulfosulfuron (25 g a.i./ha) at 30 – 35 DAS, rotate herbicide modes of action every season to delay resistance, and use crop rotation with pulses or oilseeds in alternate years.