Detailed Explanation of Key Management Techniques for Barley During the Grain-Filling Stage

Barley, also known as moumai, fanmai, and chibomai, has nutritional components similar to wheat, but its cellulose content is slightly higher.

Barley is an annual grass with thick, smooth, hairless, erect stems; the leaf sheaths are loose and clasp the stem, mostly hairless or with soft hairs at the base; on both sides there are two lanceolate auricles; the ligule is membranous, with a nutty aroma, a relatively high carbohydrate content, moderate protein, calcium, and phosphorus content, and a small amount of B vitamins.

Because barley contains a small amount of glutenin (an elastic protein), it cannot be used to make porous bread, but it can be used to make unleavened foods. In North Africa and parts of Asia, barley flour is especially favored for making porridge, and barley is also one of the main crops grown in our country. Pearl barley (round barley grains) is barley grain that has been milled to remove the hull and bran layer, added to soups and boiled, and is found all over the world.

Barley has a growing period of at least 90 days, which is relatively short among cereal crops. Therefore, it can also be cultivated on slopes in the Himalayas where the growing season is very short, but yields are lower. Its ability to resist dry heat is also stronger than that of other small-grain crops. In North Africa near desert areas it is sown in autumn, while in the cool, temperate, and humid zones of western Europe and North America it is sown in spring.

It is cultivated in all parts of our country. The distribution of barley in our country is the most extensive among cultivated crops, but the main production areas are relatively concentrated, mainly in the Yangtze River Basin, the Yellow River Basin, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With the development of the beer industry and the demand for barley raw materials, beer barley has developed rapidly in places such as the northwest and Heilongjiang. According to ecological factors such as light and temperature conditions, as well as geographical location and sowing period, cultivated barley in China is divided into three major ecological zones.

The management techniques for barley during the grain-filling stage are as follows:

1. Irrigate the grain-filling water in a timely manner

The grain-filling stage is the final formation period of barley grain yield and has a relatively high water demand. Irrigating the grain-filling water according to soil moisture conditions meets the water needs of barley during grain filling, can prevent premature root senescence, and has the effect of nourishing roots with water, protecting leaves with roots, and protecting grains with leaves.

2. Comprehensively prevent and control diseases and insect pests

The grain-filling stage of barley is a peak period for damage by multiple diseases and insect pests. Adopting the “one spray, three preventions” measure can achieve multiple effects at once in controlling barley aphids, powdery mildew, rust, and so on. Per mu, use 50 ml of 20% triadimefon emulsifiable concentrate + 10 g of 10% imidacloprid wettable powder, or use 70-100 g of 15% triadimefon wettable powder + 20-30 ml of 3% acetamiprid emulsifiable concentrate, dilute with 30 kg of water, and spray for control.

3. Spray foliar fertilizer

In the early grain-filling stage, spray 100 g of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves 1-2 times per mu. The 1000-grain weight can increase by 2-3 g, and yield can increase by about 10%, because spraying potassium dihydrogen phosphate in the later stage helps increase the content of available phosphorus and sugars in barley stems and leaves, can promote grain filling, increase the 1000-grain weight, and advance the maturity period.