This technical growing guide, created by BASF in partnership with industry experts from NIAB, SRUC, ADAS and Teagasc provides all the necessary information required to maximise the yield and quality of both spring and winter barley crops. To download the Barley Agronomy Guide click here: BARLEYGUIDE_2025 FINAL_digital or request a physical copy here: Barley Crop Management
The Barley Agronomy Guide takes you from exploring key factors for creating yield potential to the detailed husbandry practices to fulfil this potential.
Create your yield potential
Before barley crops are planted, there are decisions to be made. In Plan your strategy, Steve Hoad, SRUC, highlights the topics growers should consider, including end market objectives, the position of the crop in the rotation and choice of variety, all of which will impact the crop‘s future management.
David Leahy, Business Development Manager, BASF said, “When it comes to creating yield potential in crops, it is absolutely essential to get the basics right from the start. Barley is sink limited which means it is limited by the number and the capacity of grain sites. Creating yield potential in both winter and spring barley is all about maximising sink capacity, which means establishing the crop in a way that enables the crop to strongly develop and tiller.”
Once the variety is selected and drilled, good establishment is key to enable rapid development and the formation of tillers.
In, Give it the best start, Will Vaughan-France, NIAB and Ciaran Collins, Teagasc discuss seed, seed rates, drilling dates and establishment techniques which are commonly used.
Detailed husbandry over the course of the season is key to achieving high yielding crops and in Minimising risk from the outset, Jonathan Blake and Sacha White, ADAS consider Take-all and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus.
In “keep it healthy”, Sarah Kendall from ADAS provides a comprehensive overview of barley’s macro and micro nutrition. This also includes John Cussans, ADAS discussing weed management. John Cussans discusses the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for weed control in barley crops, detailing various management strategies and herbicide options.
Fulfil your yield potential
Pete Berry from ADAS discusses how to Avoid lodging and brackling. Here he discusses the balancing act between maximising yield and quality whilst minimising lodging risk and the factors which influence brackling, a feature that has become more common as yield parameters are pushed.
Disease management strategies are covered in depth by Stephen Kildea, Teagasc, Neil Havis, SRUC and David Leahy, BASF. They describe the lifecycles and effects of Rhynchosporium, net blotch, brown rust, powdery mildew and ramularia.
The key principles of IPM for each disease are outlined, considering the risk factors which affect the severity of each, and potential management strategies.
Fungicide strategies and timings are explored, including independent data illustrating the efficacy of active ingredients to help growers make informed choices.
David Leahy, BASF said, “We are delighted to introduce RevyPro (Revysol + prothioconazole), in the guide. RevyPro is an innovative new fungicide, joining Revystar XE (Revysol +Xemium) this year, as an additional Revysol containing option. RevyPro builds on the proven strength of Revysol to give excellent efficacy, long lasting protection and outstanding flexibility for the barley crop. Its unique formulation results in benefits which are greater than the sum of the performance of its active ingredients.”
He concluded, “This guide, with its intuitive layout, is packed full of useful content and will act as an invaluable reference for successfully growing barley crops from start to finish.”