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Spring Barley

Spring Barley

The nutrient recommendations below are based on SI 113 of 2022 as well as the Teagasc Green Book for Major & Minor nutrient advice. Any nutrient application to crops should be made in line with regulations around N & P use.

Appropriate nutrition is required to sustain high yielding and profitable crops

The importance of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium is well established for growing crops

Sulphur, Magnesium and Sodium are secondary nutrients which can boost yields in many situations

The appropriate use of micronutrients is essential for maximising crop yield and quality

Having a recent soil analysis at hand is the fundamental first step to building a crop nutrition plan.

Organic manures can be a great source of nutrition for crops. In many cases, they will need to be incorporated into the seedbed

Major Nutrient Requirements (Units/ac)

IndexNitrogen (Units/ac)Phosphorus (Units/ac)Potassium (Units/ac)Sulphur (Units/ac)
1108369220
280288020
360206820
432124020

  1. N rates shown above refer to application rates of available fertilizer. Chemical fertilizer rates should be calculated by deducting the available N contained in organic fertilizer applications from the rates shown in the above table.
  2. Reference Yields Winter Barley up to 3.4 tonnes/ac, Spring Barley up to 2.6 tonnes/ac.
  3. See accordian below for information on Soil N Index.
  4. Where proof of higher yields is available, an additional 16 units/ac N may be applied for every 0.4 tonne/ac above reference yield. The higher yields shall be based on the best yield achieved in any of the three previous harvests at 20% moisture content.
  5. Where milling wheat is grown under a contract to a purchaser of milling wheat an extra 24 units/ac N may be applied.
  6. To reduce the risk of poor establishment in spring cereals, not more than 60 units/ac N should be combined drilled.
  7. The Phosphorus fertilization rates for soils which have more than 20% organic matter shall not exceed the amounts permitted for Index 3 soils.
  8. P rates shown above refer to recommended application rates of available fertilizer.
  9. Chemical fertilizer rates should be calculated by deducting the P contained in organic fertilizer applications from the rates shown in the above table.
  10. Where proof of higher yields is available, an additional 3.0 units P/ac may be applied on soils at phosphorus indices 1, 2, or 3 for each additional 0.4 tonne/ac above a yield of 2.6 tonnes/ac
  11. The higher yields shall be based on the best yield achieved in any of
    the three previous harvests, at 20% moisture content.
  12. Where pH is greater than or equal to 7, 16 units P/ac may be applied on soils at phosphorus Index 4.
  13. Assumed crop yields for Potassium (K):
    Winter wheat = 4.5 t/ac Spring wheat = 3.4 t/ac
    Winter Barley = 4 t/ac Spring Barley = 3 t/ac
    Winter oats = 3.6 t/ac Spring Oats = 3 t/ac
  14. Rates above assume no release of K from the soil.
  15. For winter wheat and barley crops increase or decrease K rate by 7.8 units/ac per 0.4 tonne/ac increase or decrease in grain yield.
  16. For spring wheat and barley crops increase or decrease K rate by 9 units/ac per 0.4 tonne/ac increase or decrease in grain yield.
  17. For oat crops increase or decrease K rate by 11.5 units/ac per 0.4 tonne increase or decrease in grain yield.
Major Nutrient Requirements (Kg/ha)

IndexNitrogen (kg/ha)Phosphorus (kg/ha)Potassium (kg/ha)Sulphur (kg/ha)
11354511525
21003510025
375258525
440155025

  1. N rates shown above refer to application rates of available fertilizer. Chemical fertilizer rates should be calculated by deducting the available N contained in organic fertilizer applications from the rates shown in the above table.
  2. Reference Yields Winter Barley up to 8.5 tonnes/ha, Spring Barley up to 6.5 tonnes/ha.
  3. See accordian for Soil N Index.
  4. Where proof of higher yields is available, an additional 20kg/ha N may be applied for every 1 tonne above reference yield. The higher yields shall be based on the best yield achieved in any of the three previous harvests at 20% moisture content.
  5. Where milling wheat is grown under a contract to a purchaser of milling wheat an extra 30 kg/ha N may be applied.
  6. To reduce the risk of poor establishment in spring cereals, not more than 75 kg/ha N should be combined drilled.
  7. The Phosphorus fertilization rates for soils which have more than 20% organic matter shall not exceed the amounts permitted for Index 3 soils.
  8. P rates shown above refer to recommended application rates of available fertilizer.
  9. Chemical fertilizer rates should be calculated by deducting the P contained in organic fertilizer applications from the rates shown in the above table.
  10. Where proof of higher yields is available, an additional 3.8 kg P/ha may be applied on soils at phosphorus indices 1, 2, or 3 for each additional tonne above a yield of 6.5 tonnes/ha
  11. The higher yields shall be based on the best yield achieved in any of
    the three previous harvests, at 20% moisture content.
  12. Where pH is greater than or equal to 7, 20 kg P/ha may be applied on soils at phosphorus Index 4.
  13. Assumed crop yields for Potassium (K):
    Winter wheat = 11 t/ha Spring wheat = 8.5 t/ha
    Winter Barley = 10 t/ha Spring Barley = 7.5 t/ha
    Winter oats = 9.0 t/ha Spring Oats = 7.5 t/ha
  14. Rates above assume no release of K from the soil.
  15. For winter wheat and barley crops increase or decrease K rate by 9.8 kg/ha per tonne increase or decrease in grain yield.
  16. For spring wheat and barley crops increase or decrease K rate by 11.4 kg/ha per tonne increase or decrease in grain yield.
  17. For oat crops increase or decrease K rate by 14.4 kg/ha per tonne increase or decrease in grain yield.
Fertiliser Programmes

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  1. Assuming all straw is removed
  2. Assuming no organic manures are supplied
  3. Assuming Nitrogen Index = 1
Soil Nitrogen Index System

There is, as yet, no satisfactory Irish laboratory test for N in soils at farm level.

  1. Nutrient N advice for grassland systems (grazing and conservation) depends mainly on land use and farming system, and particularly on the stocking rate.
  2. For crops requiring cultivation, the available soil N can be deduced from the previous cropping and manurial history, and the type of soil. Thus, N fertilizer advice is determined by the soil N supply status. This depends in turn on the previous cropping history.

The supply status is categorised into an Index system for grass establishment and tillage crops.

N Index for tillage crops that follow short leys or tillage

Index 1Index 2Index 3Index 4
Previous Crop
Cereals, MaizeSugar beet
Fodder beet
Potatoes
Mangels
Kale
Oil seed rape, Peas,
Beans
Leys (1-4 years)
grazed or cut and
grazed.
Swedes removedSwedes grazed in situ
Vegetables receiving
less than 200 kg/ha nitrogen
Vegetables receiving
more than 200 kg/ha nitrogen

N Index for pasture establishment or tillage crops that follow long leys or permanent pasture

Index 1Index 2Index 3Index 4
Previous Crop
Any crop sown as the 5th tillage crop following long leys or permanent pasture.Any crop sown as the 3rd or 4th tillage crop following long leys or permanent pasture. If original long ley or permanent pasture was cut only use Index 1.Any crop sown as the 1st or 2nd tillage crop following long leys or permanent pasture (see also Index 4). If original long ley or permanent pasture was cut only use Index 2Any crop sown as the 1st or 2nd tillage crop following very good long leys or permanent pasture which was grazed only.

Magnesium
  1. Responses of cereals to magnesium application are difficult to demonstrate.
  2. Application of Mg is only advisable for cereals if soil Mg is less than about 50 mg/l (Index 1 & 2).
  3. Magnesium deficiency symptoms can be transitory in nature, often occurring early in the season when root growth is restricted but  disappearing again as root growth resumes.
  4. Studies indicate that magnesium deficiency is more likely where there are
    poor soil structure conditions as this can limit Mg release.
  5. Goulding Soil Nutrition offer Wolftrax Magnesium DDP as an option to be coated onto fertilisers. Coating fertilisers with Magnesium allows for earlier intervention (seedbed) when magnesium deficiency is a known issue.
  6. Find out more about Magnesium.
Copper
  1. Copper deficiency is common in cereal crops.
  2. The availability of Cu is not greatly affected by soil pH.
  3. Soil analysis is a reliable measure of soil available copper levels.
  4. High organic matter
    e.g. in peats, can markedly reduce the availability of Cu.
  5. Copper deficiency occurs most
    frequently in coarse-textured or sandy soils.
  6. In heavy textured soils, Cu deficiency is not likely unless the soil Cu level falls below 1 mg/l whereas on light textured soils, deficiency may occur in soils containing up to 2.5 mg/l Cu.
  7. Goulding Soil Nutrition offer Wolftrax Copper DDP as an option to be coated onto fertilisers. Coating fertilisers with Copper allows for earlier intervention (seedbed) when copper deficiency is a known issue.
  8. Find out more about Copper.
Manganese
  1. Manganese deficiency is one of the most widespread deficiencies in cereals, especially at high pH or with recently limed soils.
  2. Yield responses to Mn are found with cereals growing in soils of pH 7 or more when the easily reducible Mn level in soil test falls below 50 mg/l.
  3. Soil analysis (easily reducible manganese) is an indicator to soil Mn availability, however, this is not fully reliable for predicting the occurrence of Mn deficiency.
  4. Leaf analysis is more reliable than soil analysis for diagnosis of possible Mn deficiencies.
  5. Transitory Mn deficiency can also occur as a result of the conversion of Mn++, the plant available form that is found in the soil solution, to  manganese oxides and hydroxides which are unavailable to plants, a process that occurs when it comes in contact with oxygen and is more likely during periods of drying weather conditions or low soil moisture levels.
  6. Conditions which increase the amount of air in the soil such as loose seedbeds or dry soils can induce manganese deficiency.
  7. Seedbed consolidation plays an important role in increasing Mn availability by increasing root to soil contact and reducing Mn oxidation.
  8. Manganese deficiency that occurs as a result of dry soils will often be corrected by rainfall.
  9. Goulding Soil Nutrition offer Wolf Trax Manganese DDP as an option to be coated onto fertilisers. Coating fertilisers with Manganese allows for earlier intervention (seedbed) when manganese deficiency is a known issue.
  10. Find out more about Manganese.
Zinc
  1. Soil analysis is a reliable indicator of the availability of soil zinc as plant Zn deficiency can be quite difficult to diagnose without plant analysis.
  2. An available Zn level of less than 1 mg/l and a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 indicates that Zn deficiency is likely in cereals.
  3. High soil organic matter will reduce Zn availability and uptake.
  4. Good seedbed preparation will reduce the risk of Zn deficiency as it is often associated with loose, unconsolidated seedbeds and results in poor root to soil contact.
  5. High soil P and high soil pH reduce the availability of soil Zn.
  6. Goulding Soil Nutrition offer Wolf Trax Zinc DDP as an option to be coated onto fertilisers. Coating fertilisers with Zinc allows for earlier intervention (seedbed) when manganese deficiency is a known issue.
  7. Find out more about Zinc.