Barley

Barley, Hordeum vulgare, is an edible annual grass in the family Poaceae grown as a cereal grain crop. It is a tall grass with a hairy stem which stands erect and produces spikelets at the head. The stem is made up of nodes and internodes. The internodes are solid, whereas the internodes are hollow. The stem supports the inflorescence, or spike, where the grain is produced. Barley seeds heads are cylindrical spikes composed of rachis each with 3 spikelets. Each spike produces 20–60 grains. Barley plants are freely tillering and typically possesses 1–6 stems. The tillers do not produce seed heads. Barley is an annual plant which is harvested each year and it can range in height from 80 to 100 cm (31.5–39.4 in). Barley may be referred to as spring barley or winter barley and it was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East.


Barley is cultivated as a food cereal in the tropics and subtropics in India, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Russia, Ethiopia, North Africa and the Andean region of South America. The straw produced is used as an animal feed, bedding and to cover roofs of houses. In temperate regions, barley is used in malt production to brew beer and make other distilled alcoholic beverages, particularly whisky.


Barley varieties Like wheat, barley can be grown in Spring or Fall. Barley can be classed as either six-rox or two-row. Two-row barley has two rows of seeds on each spike whereas six-row barley has six rows of seeds on each spike. Two-row barley varieties tend to be spring grown whereas six-row barley varieties include both spring and winter grown types. Planting Winter barley varieties should be planted in the Fall approximately 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost date. Spring varieties should be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the Spring. Barley requires temperatures to have reached a minimum of 1–2°C (34–36°F) for successful germination. Seeds should be sown in prepared seed bed in rows or by broadcasting. Commercially grown barley is usually mechanically drilled using a machine that creates a furrow and drops the seed in before covering it back up. Seeds are usually sown to depths ranging from 2 to 12 cm (0.8–4.7 in) depending on soil conditions (seed must be sown deeper in drier soil) and the soil should be raked lightly after planting. Spring barley varieties usually reach maturity in 60 to 80 days and winter barley in 60 days. Harvesting Barley is ready to harvest when the stalks and heads have turned from green to yellow and the seed heads are drooping towards the ground. Check the seeds for ripeness before harvest. The should be firm and crunchy and not doughy in texture. Commercially produced wheat is usually harvested using a combine. Smaller plots can be harvested by hand using a scythe or sickle. Small plots can be harvested by snipping off the heads with a pair of scissors.


Anderson, P. M., Oelke, E. A. & Simmons, S. R. (2013). Growth and development guide for spring barley. University of Minnesota Extension. Available at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/small-grains/growth-and-development/spring-barley/. [Accessed 06 November 14]. Free to access. CABI Crop Protection Compendium. (2011). Hordeum vulgare datasheet. Available at: http://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/27662. [Accessed 06 November 14]. Paid subscription required. Mathre, D. E. (Ed.) (1997). Compendium of barley diseases. Available at: http://www.apsnet.org/apsstore/shopapspress/Pages/41809.aspx. Available for purchase from APS Press. McVay, K., Burrows, M., Jones, C., Wanner, K. & Menalled, F. Montana barley production guide. Montana State University Extension. Available at: http://store.msuextension.org/publications/AgandNaturalResources/EB0186.pdf. [Accessed 06 November 14]. Free to access.