The effects of grazing on components of grain yield in winter barley

Abstract

A paddock-scale experiment was conducted over two seasons to determine whether winter barley will fit adequately into a fanning system that requires both feed and grain, and to investigate how grazing affects the grain yield components. The 6-row ‘Illia’ and 2-row ‘Priver’ cultivars produced 1.3–2 t/ha of DM by mid August when sown in April. Grazing to ground level in August reduced grain yields by about 10%, by reducing the ear population, despite the fact that mainstem apices were below soil level at thetime of grazing. Combine harvested grain yields ranged from 2.3 to 3.6 t/ha in seasons with below average rainfall.