BARLEY (Hordeum)

Importance and grain composition:

Barley grain has a better developed pericarp, therefore it has a higher content of crude fiber (about 4%). The main nutrient is starch, but its content is lower than that of wheat. Mean content of crude protein is 8-15%, a limiting amino acid is lysine, although its content is higher than that of wheat. Reserve protein is hordein (prolamin). Barley grains contain about 2% fat and 2% mineral substances. Barley contains also antinutritional polysaccharides β-glucans (up to 8 %). They increase viscosity of intestinal contents, like arabinoxylans. Their effect is the most pronounced in poultry, causing decreased performance and water retention in droppings.

 Applications:

Food grade barley is used for the production of hulls and dietetic food. Because of a favourable effect of dietary fibre on cholesterol level, decrease of colon cancer risk and prevention of obesity and diabetes, varieties with higher contents of β-glucan (over 5 %) and digestible fibre are used. These are mainly glumeless varieties.

Malting barley is grown mainly as a spring crop in this country. There are quite high requirements for its quality. The main criterion is protein content (max. 11%), front grain proportion, β-glucan content (max. 1.5-2 %).

Feed grade barley is grown both as six-rowed and two-rowed forms, winter and spring forms, form with and without glumes. It has higher protein (about 15%) and lysine contents, and a lower content of β-glucans (1.5-2 %). It is suitable for feeding cattle, horses, rabbits and pigs, it can be included in feed for carnivores, too.

Fodder barley is harvested as whole plants (GPS system).

Industrial barley is used for the production of spirit, whisky, starch, detergents, cosmetic and pharmacological products

 Cultivation requirements:

Spring barley has high requirements for soil because it has a shallow root system, and produces a large amount of biomass in a relatively short period of time. The most suitable soils for barley are brown earth and chernozem. Acid soils are not suitable, as well as consolidated soil, weeded fields and localities with frequent occurrence of fog and dew. In the crop pattern it usually falls in after fertilized cereals. The best previous crop is sugar beet. If the previous crop is to be a cereal, wheat is better than barley.

Winter barley is not demanding for soil and climatic conditions and has lower requirements for nutrients. A disadvantage is a greater susceptibility to infestation with fungal diseases and little cold resistance. In the crop pattern it is usually put after a cereal or another early harvested crop (it is sown very early – second September decade).