AGR220:

Crop Production Technology- II (Rabi crops)

Dr. Abhinandan Singh

L:1 T:0 P:2 Credits:2

 Syllabus

Unit I Package and practices of Rabi cereals (wheat and barley): origin,
geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements,
varieties, cultural practices and yield.
Unit II Package and practices of Rabi pulses (chickpea, lentil and field pea):
origin, geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic
requirements, varieties, cultural practices and yield. .
Unit III Package and practices of oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard and sunflower):
origin, geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic
requirements, varieties, cultural practices and yield.
Unit IV Package and practices of sugar crops (sugarcane): origin, geographical
distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements, varieties,
cultural practices and yield.
Unit V Package and practices of medicinal and aromatic crops (mentha, lemon
grass and citronella): origin, geographical distribution, economic importance, soil
and climatic requirements, varieties, cultural practices and yield.
Unit VI Package and practices of forage crops (berseem, lucerne and oat): origin,
geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements,
varieties, cultural practices and yield.
 Text Books:
1. MODERN TECHNIQUES OF RAISING
FIELD CROPS by CHIDDA SINGH,
OXFORD AND IBH PUBLISHING-2 nd
edition.
References:
1. AGRONOMY OF FIELD CROPS by S.R.
REDDY, KALYANI PUBLISHER
2. TEXT BOOK OF FIELD CROPS by
MUKUND JOSHI,PHI LEARNING-1 ST
EDITION
WHEAT
 Importance of Wheat
• Wheat and Barley are the first domesticated crops of
world (7500 B C)
• Second staple food crop in India consumed as chapathis,
bread flakes, cakes, biscuits etc
• It is the staple food crop of India for more than 43
countries.
• It is primarily a temperate crop ranks first in area &
production among all cereals of the world
• In India, wheat ranks second next to rice contributing
25% to food production
• Straw is used as cattle feed
 Wheat Protein
• Higher protein (8-15%) among cereals. Wheat protein
includes albumin, proteose, globulin, glutalin &
glyadine
• Best for baking industry as it contain highest gluten
(16-50%). Gluten provides softness, spongyness &
elasticity
• Mexican dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum) presently
grown in the India everywhere and called as common
bread wheat is evolved by Dr. N. E. Borlog of Mexico
and CIMMYT.
• Wheat protein is called as Gluten. The chapatti making
quality depends on depends on gluten strength.
 Varietal development in wheat
• Flowering portion of the wheat is called Ear or Head but
botanically called as spike.
• Rachis is the central zigzag axis composed of flowers called
florets.
• Test weight is 40 g and shelling percentage is 60% and
harvest index is 40-45 %
• Norin is dwarfing gene was isolated from Norin series wheat
varieties and Nor (Rht) in wheat variety in Japan
• Norin 10 - first dwarf variety brought to UAS by S C Salamon
in 1948 using norin gene.
• Dr. O. A. Vogel developed a dwarf winter wheat variety
GAINS in USA and many other varietyes were developed by
Dr. Norman E Borloug in 1961-62 at CIMMYAT
 Wheat development in India
• In 1963, Govt. of India imported 100 kg of Mexican wheat
varieties Sonara 64, Lerma Rojo with the help of Rockfellar
Foundation and five varieties by IARI were Lerma Rojo 64 A,
S-63, Sonara 64, Mayo-64 and S-227.
• Lerma Rojo 64 A – single gene dewar variety
• Sonara – 64 – double gene dwarf
• Both varieties released in general cultivation in India was
responsible for green revolution (Wheat revolution)
• Increase in wheat production during 63-67 was called as
“Green revolution”
• Source of dwarfing gene – Norin 10 (Japan), Tom Thumb
(Tibet) and Olsen dwarf (South Rhodesia)
Some important varieties of Wheat
• Triple gene dwarf wheat varieties were released in
1970 (Hira, Noti, Jawahar, Jyothi, Sangam, HD-1941,
HD-1977, UP-301, UP-319)
• Double gene dwarf varieties – Kalyan sona, Arjun,
Janak, UP-215, HD-2204, Pratap.
• Single gene dwarf – Sonalika, UP-262, WL-711, Girija
• Phalaris minor and Avena fatua are the most
commonly seen weeds in wheat controlled by
Isoproturon
• Critical stage for Irrigation is Crown Root Initiation
stage comes at 21 DAS
 Origin & Distribution
Decandole – Euprrates & tigris and spread to
China, Egypt.
Vavilov – Abyssinia for Durum wheat & Pakistan,
SW Afganistan for Soft (Bread) wheat.
Leading cereal in world (50%)
World: China, India, france, UK, USSR, USA. India
accounts 12% of world production.
India: UP, MP, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana,
Maharastra, Gujrath
 Important wheat types grown in India

Common %
Species Uses Distribution Remarks
name prodn
T. Bread Chapati & Introduced from mexico
87 Entire India by Dr. N.E. Borlough
aestivum wheat Baking
Drought resistant,
Suji, Central &
Durum / Norin-10 gene
T. durum 12 samya / Southern
Macoroni introduced to reduce
upma parts
lodging
T. Emmer TN, AP, Mhr, rich in fibre, good for
1 Upma diabetic
dicoccum wheat Gujrath
 Cultivated wheat species
Group – Species Genome Common
Chromosome name
pairs
Diloid – 7 T monococcum AA Einkon
Tetraploid – 14 T dicoccum AABB Emmer
T durum AABB Durum
T. Persicum AABB Persian
T turgidum AABB Poulard/Rivert
T polonicum AABB Polish
Hexaploid – 21 T estivum AABBDD Common
(vulgare)
T compactum AABBDD Club
T sphaerococcum AABBDD Shot
T macha AABBDD Macha
T vavilovi AABBDD Vavilovi
T spelta AABBDD Spelt
Common wheat ( T vulgare / aestivum)
• Bread wheat
• Most suited for chapati and bakery
• Cultivated throughout India
• Common wheat may be sub-divided
– Hard red winter wheat – commercial class
– Hard red spring – where winter is too severe, high
protein and excellent bread making characteristics
– Soft red winter – grown in humid conditions, grains are
soft, low protein, flour more suitable for cakes, cookies
– White wheat – mainly for pasty purpose
Duram wheat (T. durum)

• Macroni wheat
• Best suited for noodles, vermicelli
and suji
• Spring habit
• Cultivated in Central & Southern
India
 Emmer wheat (T dicoccum)

• This wheat is grown in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu

and Karnataka.
• It is grown in Spain, Italy, Germany and Russia.
• It was developed from T. diccoides koru., a wild
form.
• It is preferred for granular preparations like
upma, halwa
 Winter / spring wheat
• Preferred for granular preparation
• Gujarat, Maharastra, AP & TN
Shot wheat (T sphaerococcum)
• Indian dwarf wheat
• Practically gone out of cultivation due
to low productivity and disease
susceptibility
• Small extent North India and West
Pakistan for local consumption
 Root system
• Primary roots: Disappears gradually when secondary roots
develop
• Secondary roots
• Permanent adventitious roots - called Clonal roots
– They arise at a point above the primary roots
– They come from lateral nodes
– Most of the roots are confined to top 30cm
– In deep and well drained soil it may be > 2 m
• The transitional zone between root and shoot is called
‘crown’
• It is formed near the soil surface
• Irrespective of depth of sowing
• Roots emanating from crown are called ‘Crown roots’
 Shoot system
• Stem
– Erect, smooth and cylindrical
– Nodes are solid
– Internodes are hallow numbering 5-7
• Leaf
– Sheath and blade
– There is ligule and auricle
 Inflorescence
Spike / ear
– Axis / rachis
• 15-20 spikelet are closely grouped
• The spikelet are sessile composed of florets
• No of florets in a spikelet may be 1-5
• Each floret may contain palea and lemma
• The grain
– Caryopsis
– Oval, one side is convex, other side flat and a
longitudinal furrow
 Growth stages of wheat plant
1. Pre establishment stage

a) Pre-emergence: Sprouting of seeds by giving rise to

seminal roots and coleoptiles.
b) Emergence: Coleoptiles appear from germinating seeds
above the soil surface
 2. Vegetative stage
• Seedling: The young plants establish larger root
systems in this stage. The stage may be further
differentiated as one leaf, two leaf, three leaf and
four leaf stage.
• Crown root stage: This coincides with three or
four leaf stage in which the crown roots appear.
• Tillering: Plants develop crown and branch out
into tillers from their base at soil surface.
• Jointing: This is the stage at which the plants
start elongating when the nodes start developing
above the crown node.
 3) Reproductive stage
• Booting: In this stage the uppermost leaf swells
out into flag holding the spike into it.
• Heading: The spikes start emerging out from the
leaf sheath at this stage.
• Flowering: Anthesis of florets and fertilization of
ovaries takes place at this stage.
 4) Post anthesis stage

Grain Filling: The ovaries after fertilization start

elongating in to seeds and pass through milk, soft
dough and hard dough stages.
Maturity : Colour of the glumes changes and kernels
become fairly hard at this stage
 Adaptation and distribution
– Widely cultivated cereal
– 47ºS to 57ºN latitude
• Hence cultivated and harvested throughout the year in
one country or other
– Cultivated in wide range of soils but
– Well suited to fertile well drained silt and clay loam
soils
– Poorly suited to sandy or poorly drained soils
 Climate
• Rabi season crop,
• Subtropical to temperate, upto 3300 MSL.
• Cool moist weather during vegetative & flowering and
dry warm weather during ripening.
• Extreme high temperature during flowering is harmful.
• Opt temperature for germination is 20-25oC.
• Wheat requires Moderate amount of Soil moisture and
low humidity which favour early ripening and reduces
lodging as a result of which the crop escapes from rust
attack.
Influence of temperature in wheat
germination
– Wheat has hardening ability after germination
– It can germinate at temp just above 4ºC
– After germination it can withstand freezing
temperatures by-
• Spring wheat - as low as (-9.4ºC)
• Winter wheat – as low as (-31.6ºC)
– Normal process starts above 5ºC under the presence
of adequate sunlight
What happens during hardening of wheat?

– During the process of hardening there is gradual

increase in the dry matter, sugars, amide nitrogen,
and amino nitrogen in the tissues
– As a result there is greater tolerance to freezing of
proteins
– Hardened plants have lower moisture in the leaves
and
– Water is held more tightly within the cells
 Temperature and growth
– Wheat can be exposed to low temp during vegetative
and high temp and long days during reproductive phases
– Optimum is 20-22ºC
• Optimum for vegetative – 16-22 º C
• Leaves are largest at 22 º C
– Temp above 22 ºC decreases plant height, root length
and tiller number
– Heading is accelerated as temp rose from 22 to 34 ºC but
retarded above 34 ºC
– At grain development 25 ºC for 4- 5 weeks is optimum
• Temp above 25 ºC reduce the grain weight
 Response to photo period and growth
• Wheat respond to daylength
– It is long day plant
– Long day hastens the flowering
– Short day increase the vegetative period
• But no more varieties after the release of photo-
insensitive
Growth stages in wheat in North India

• Vegetative
– Germination : 5-7 days
– CRI : 20-25 DAS
– Tillering: from 15 days at 4-5 days until 45 DAS
– Jointing: Peak plant growth 45-60 DAS
• Internode elongation period
Growth stages in wheat in North India

• Reproductive
– Boot leaf 70-75 DAS
– Flowering : 85-90 DAS
– Milking: 100-105DAS
– Dough: 105-110
– Maturity: 115 - 120
 Coordinating Research Zones
• Six wheat improvement and coordination zones
– Northern Hills Zone
– North Western Plans Zone
– North Eastern Plains Zone
– Central Zone
– Peninsular Zone
– Southern Hills Zone
 Wheat cultivation practices
• Season
– Time of sowing decides yield potential in wheat
– Irrigated long duration var. (135-140d): Nov 10-30th
– Short duration var. (120-125):can sow up to Dec 15
– Later than Dec 15th there is drastic reduction in yield
– Zone wise there is slight variation
 Field preparation
– Usually after harvest of Kharif crops
– Field is prepared by disking once and harrowing
– Moderate to fine tilth is suitable
– Zero tillage also possible
• After rice dibbling in lines may be an option

Methods of sowing
– Broad casting
– Zero / No-tillage sowing
– Behind the plough
– Drilling
– Dibbling
– FIRB – Furrow irrigated raised bed system
 Seed rate
– Normal recommendation 100-125 kg /ha
– Increase seed rate by 25% when
• Under late sown
• When the soil moisture is less
– Broadcast requires higher seed rate – 150 kg
– For dibbling 25-30kg is sufficient
 Spacing
– Varies with varieties
– Tillering variety requires wider spacing
– Irrigated wheat spaced 22.5 cm and 8-18 cm between plants
– Rainfed wheat – 25-30 cm x 5-6cm
– When late sown closer spacing 15-16cm

Deapth of sowing & Seed treatment

• Depth of sowing: < 5 cm as deep sowing result in delayed

emergence (2-3 days) and flowering (5-6 days).
• Seed treatment: Hot water or Vitavax fungicide against Smut
disease
 Mineral Nutrition
Nitrogen
• Critical leaf N conc is 2.5%
• Poor tillering and small ear heads are deficiency
• Indian soils lack N
• General recommendation
– For irrigated crop -s 120-150 kg
– Rainfed - 40-60kg
• Irrigated 2-3 equal splits
– Heavy soils 2 splits
– Light soils three
• Basal, 1st irrigation and 2nd irrigation are time
• In rainfed crop if moisture availability is sufficient
– Additional dose may be – 40kg/ha
• All the nitrogenous may be used
• For calcarious and strongly alkaline soils
– Ammonium sulphate is better than Urea
 Phosphorous
• It is also critical nutrient particularly for dwarf
• Applied as basal dose
• If adequate P fertilization is done for
• Maize-wheat
• Sorghum – wheat
• Rice-wheat
• P may be reduced or avoided
• But most of soils are responding
• May be 0.1% dry leaf P conc be maintained
• 60kg P2O5 at planting is good
• Source wise water soluble is preferred
• Rock phosphate efficiency much lower
• For acid soils
– Use of rock phosphate with pyrites may be useful
• When the water soluble (SSP / DAP) when placed near the root
zone is more efficient than broadcasting
 Potassium

• There is response to applied K

• In general Indo-Gangetic alluvium is rich in
K and not recommended with K
• General recommendation is 40-60kg /ha
• May be basal or split along with 1st
irrigation
 Micro-nutrients
• Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn and B are reported as deficient in certain
soils
• Zn is widely reported
– <10ppm in leaves is acute deficiency
– Higher P is interfering with Zn
– Generally 25 kg Zn SO4 /ha
– Foliar spray with 0.5%
» 5kg ZnSO4 along with 2.5kg slaked lime is dissolved
in 1000 lit to spray 1 ha
INM
• Green manure / FYM applied to Kharif crop
• A pulse crop before wheat
• Biofertlizers along the seeds and soil
 Irrigation
– Highly responds to irrigation
– 4-6 irrigations are essential
– 40-50% depletion of ASM
– Appropriate IW :CPE ratio for wheat 0.7-0.9
– On clay loam up to 80% depletion
– Critical phases for irrigation are
• CRI – 20-25 DAS)
• Second most critical stage – Flowering
• Third important stage – jointing and milk stages
 For varying number irrigations
No of irrigations Stages
1 CRI
2 CRI + LJ
3 CRI + B + M
4 CRI + LT + F + M
5 CRI + LT + LJ + F + M
6 CRI + LT + LJ + F + M + D
CRI – Crown root initiation; LT – Late tillering; LJ – late
jointing; F- Flowering; M- milking; D – Dough stages
 Weed control
– Deadly competitor
– Should be controlled at the early
– Better filed maintenance to previous crop
– Problematic mono-cot weeds are
• Phalaris minor – (Canary grass)
• Avena fatua (Wild oat)
• Polypogan monspliensis
– Hand weeding is recommended
• Before 20-25DAS
• Second weeding 2 weeks later
 Herbicides
• Dicots can be controlled by 2,4 D (EE) 0.3-0.4 kg /ha at 35DAS
• Monocots can be controlled by
– Isoproturon 1-1.5kg /ha or
– Methabenzthiazuron 1.5 kg or
– Metoxuron 1.5 kg /ha on 30-35 DAS
• Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin or Isoproturon
is broad spectrum control
 Among them, Phalaris minor is the major one & difficult to
control as it exhibit mimicry. The differences between wheat
and Phalaris minor are

Phalaris minor Wheat

Basal node remain pink up to 50 Greenish yellow
days
Leaf colour is light green Dark green
Tillering is rosette type Erect type
Tillers branch Don’t branch
Produce 10,000 – 30,000 seeds / 60-70 seeds / plant
plant
Test weight – 2g 40 g
Seeds are small, dark brown & oval Bigger, amber colour &
shape hard
 Harvesting and threshing
– Yellow and dry straw is visual indicator
– Shredding, breaking of spikes are over ripe
– Most suitable stage is grain moisture of 20-25%
– Combine harvester is ideal
– Usually manually harvested or by reapers is dried for 3-4 days
on threshing floor and threshed
Post Harvest Technology
• Wheat is usually ground into flour before used as food.
• Earlier days stone grinding was done.
• Nowadays steel roller mills are available for grinding.
 Process of milling
• Before milling wheat is tempered by adding water
about 24 to 48 hours earlier to milling so that the
moisture of grains comes around 14%.
• This allows better separation of bran from the
endosperm.
• Wheat is eaten as atta in the north and west, in the
south and east as maida and suji.
• Rava is consumed mainly in the south. Pasta is a
mixture of flour and salt.
• Pasta products comprise vermicelli, noodles,
macaroni and spaghetti.
 Storage
• If the moisture content of grain is more than
12% they are eaten up by storage pests.
• There is marked deterioration in weight, taste,
nutrients or nutritive value and germination of
wheat grains when they are stored.
• Safe storage means ensuring that the stored
grains retain their original weight, taste,
nutritive value and germination.
 Pests and Diseases
Disease/ Pest Causal Organism
Brown or Leaf Rust Puccinia recondita
Black or stem rust Puccinia graminis tritici
Yellow or stripe Puccinia striformis
rust
Loose smut Ustilago nuda tritici
Karnal bunt Neovossia indica
Leaf blight Alternaria triticina
Tundu disease or Anguina tritici (Nematode) +
yellow slime Corynebacterium tritici or Clavibacter
disease tritici
Ghujia weevil Tanymecus indicus
Termites Microtermes obesi, Odontotermes
obesus
AGR220:

Crop Production Technology- II (Rabi crops)

Dr. Abhinandan Singh

L:1 T:0 P:2 Credits:2

BARLEY
 BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.emend, Lam.)
• Chromosome number is 2n = 14
• Family - Graminae
• It belongs to genus Hordeum.
• It ranks fourth in the world after rice, wheat and
maize
• It was the staple food crop of Indo-Aryans during
vedic period
• Archaeological evidences dates back to 8000 B. C. at
Mureybaton the Euphrates in Syria.
 Classification of barley
Cultivated barley varieties are classified based
on number of rows of grain and their
arrangement or arrangement of spikelets on
rachis.
• Six rowed barley - Hordeum vulgare
• Two rowed barley- Hordeum distichum
• Irrigular barley - Hordeum irregular
 Six rowed barley : Hordeum vulgare
• Both the two lateral spikelets are fertile, but
their size may vary from slightly to moderately
smaller in than the central floret.
• In this type, each spikelet consists of one floret
with 3 fertile spikelets attached to one side of
the rachis and three on the other.
• Six vertical rows of kernels are produced on each
spike.
• Each spike produces 25 to 60 kernels
Two rowed barley : Hordeum distichum

• The two lateral spikelets are sterile, thus

the each spikelets has 2 vertical rows,
• Each spike produces 15 to 30 kernals
 Irregular barley : Hordeum irregular
• It has fertile central florets, while some of the florets are
fertile others are infertile.
• Within each of these species there is a number of
morphologically distinct forms and these have been given
the status of the variety
• Note: 1. There are two genes involved, both with multiple
allelic series but a single recessive mutation (vv) is
adequate to cause two-rowed barley to become six rowed.
• Six rowed barley genotypes with fragile ears are known, but
do not appear to be truly wild plants and are probably
derived from six rowed cultivars.
• Out of these, six rowed barley is the most commonly
cultivated type
 Classification based on awans
• Awned – smooth awned and rough awned
types
• Awnless – also called as hooded because of
hood shaped structure that develops in the
place of awn.
 Classification based on seed coating
On the basis of presence or absence of seed cover both two
rows and six row barley types have been sub divided
• Hordeum vulgare – Var.- nudum – naked six rowed
trifurcatum – hooded six rowed
incerme – awnless six rowed
hexastichon
• Hordeum distichon var nodum - naked tow row
trifurcatum – hooded tow rowed
incerme – awnless tow rowed
zeocrithon – fan tail barley
deficiens
 Classification based on seed coating
• Hulled – (husked ) in this type of barley, floral
glumes that is the husk or chaff remains
adhered to the grain. Those type donot thresh
free.
• Hulless (Naked) the chaff in this type does not
adhere to the grain and therefore the grain
can be easily separated on threshing as in
wheat
 Origin
• Core group of investigators considered
Abyssinia as the centre of origin for Hulled,
awned type.
• Another group considered South-East Asia
particularly, China, Tibet and
• Nepal as centre of origin for hull less six rowed
varieties.
 Economic importance
• It is the most important cereal of the world and it is
the major source of food for large number of peoples
in cooler semi arid parts of the world.
• It is the staple food crop of people in Tibet, Nepal
and Bhutan. In European country, it is used only a
breakfast food.
• Important food crop in higher altitude.
• Flour is used for making ‘Chapati’ along with wheat
flour or gram flour and used as “Missi Rotti”.
• Used for preparation of malt, beer, whisky and
industrial alcohol, vinegar.
 Economic importance
• Mainly used in malt and brewing industries.
• Grain is broken and roughly ground in to pearl
barley to be used in soup.
• Excess grain is used as cattle feed and horse feed.
• Medicinal value,
• Used for biscuit making
• Nutritive value: Protein – 11.5%, Carbohydrates -
74%, Fat – 1.3%, Crude fibre – 3.9%, Ash – 1.5%
(3.69).
 Area and distributions
• World : It is grown in many countries viz., Russia,
Canada, Germany, France, China, USA, Turkey, India,
Australia, Spain etc.
• Area : 76.2 m.ha, Production : 171.9 m.t, Productivity
: 2.26 t/ha.
• USSR ranks first in acreage and production.
• India : Area : 8.84 l.ha (1995 – 1996);
Production : 16.54 l.ton Productivity : 1.87 t/ha.
• Of the total area, 61.0% area is under irrigated
condition and 39% is under rainfed condition.
 Roots
• Fibrous , adventitious and non creeping
• Seminal roots emerges from radical at seed
germination and adventitious roots emerge
out from the crown at the time of plant
establishment
 Shoot system
• Stem
– Erect, smooth and cylindrical culm with series of
hallow internodes
– Internodes are hallow numbering 5-8
– Crown carries several culms, a mother shoot or
stem usually 2-4 tillers
– Tillering is a vertical character
– Tow rowed barley tillers more profusely than six
rowed types.
 Leaf
– Sheath and long leaf blade
– There is ligule and long blade
– The auricles or claws are formed as 2 lateral
projections
– Plant surface is usually covered with a kind of wax
to varying extents, which serves as an in built
mechanisms to tolerate moisture stress
 Inflorescence
– Spike / ear
– Spikelts emerges from nodes of Axis / rachis
• Each spikelet consists of two glumes and one floret
• The spikelet are sessile composed of florets
• It is a naturally self pollinated crop with very low extent
of cross pollination.
The grain – called as Caryopsis
– Spindle, tapering at each end, other side flat and a
longitudinal furrow
Growth stages in barley in India
 Germination and initial establishment stages : 20-25
DAS
 Tillering: 30- 35 DAS
 Jointing and booting: Peak plant growth 55-65 DAS
 Heading or ear head emergence stage: 75- 87 DAS
 Ripening – post milking, grainfilling & grain
developmet-90-100 DAS
 Maturity
 Climatic requirement
• Similar to Wheat. Comes up well in cool climate.
• Warm and moist conditions are not conducive.
• It requires around 12-150 C during growing period
and around 300C during maturity.
• It cannot tolerate frost. Frost and Hailstorm at
flowering are detrimental.
• Rain at the time of ripening causes discolouration
of grain and it is not good for malting or seeding.
• The crop possesses high degree of tolerance to
drought and Sodic condition
 Edaphic or Soil requirements
• Sandy to moderately heavy loam soil of Indo-
Gangetic plains having neutral to Saline in reaction
and medium fertility are most suited for barley.
• Being a salt tolerant crop, it is the best substitute for
sodic soils and also for saline coastal soils in West
Bengal and black soils of Karnataka.
• A higher spot with efficient drainage would be best
location for barley. The soil should not be very fertile
which causes lodging and reduce the yield.
• Acidic soils are not suitable.
 Season
• Rainfed crop : Before end of October or first
week of November.
• Irrigated: I or II week of November
• Late sown: Up to December
• Hilly Zones (2000 m): Ist week of November.
 Seed Rate
–Irrigated : 75 to 100 kg/ha.
–Rainfed : 80 to 100 kg/ha.
–Saline soil : 100 kg/ha.
• In very high altitude of 2000 m above MSL,
grown only as summer crop.
• Sowing during end of April or Ist week of May .
Similar to Wheat
 Spacing and Sowing depth
• Spacing : Irrigated crops : 23cm row spacing
• Rainfed crops : 23-25cm row spacing
• Depth of Sowing : Irrigated crops : 5cm depth
• Rainfed crops : 6 to 8cm depth
 Varieties recommended
Two type of varieties are sown
i) Huskless and
ii) Hulled barley
 Rainfed areas
• Ratna: Six rowed hulled variety. Developed at IARI. 125-
130 days, 2.5-3.0 t/ha – UP.
• Grown in WB, Bihar.
• Vijay: Developed at Kanpur, 120-125 days,. 3.0-3.5 t/ha.
Suited for cultivation in UP, Delhi, MP, and Punjab.
• Azad: Developed at Kanpur. Resistant to yellow rust. 115-
120 days. 3.5-3.8 t/ha.
• Ameru: Developed from Kanpur, 130-133 days, 2.5-3.0
t/ha. Best for production of
• Malt for brewing.
 Irrigated areas
• Jyoti: Six rowed hulled variety. Developed from
Kanpur. 120-125 days, 3.5-4.0 t/ha.
• Ranjit: Six rowed, semi dwarf, non lodging.125-130
days. 3.0-3.5 t/ha. Recommended for commercial
cultivation.
• Clipper: Two row barley variety. 135-140 days, 28-30
q/ha. Best for malt production and brewing purpose.
• Karan 18 and 19 : 5.0 –5.6 t/ha. Best varieties.
Dual purpose varieties (Fodder & grain)
• Ratna, Karan 2 , Karan 5 & Karan 10.
Selection of variety for malt production

• Plumpy, medium, good quality seeds

• Select the seeds having 1.2 to 1.5% N
• Timely sowing. Avoid late sowing.
• Fertile soil should be avoided.
 Land preparation
• Barley being a shallow rooted crop responds
well to light textured, fine seed bed. One
ploughing with soil turning plough followed by
2 or 3 ploughings with desi plough or 2 or 3
harrowings by tractor or bullock power.
• In areas where termites are problematic, mix
the soil with BHC 10% at 20-25 kg/ha or aldrin
5% dust at 10 to15 kg/ha.
 Seed treatment
• Treat seeds with either Captan/Thiram/Bavistin
@ 2g/kg of seeds.

• In the case of saline and rainfed areas, sowing

of overnight soaked seeds results in a quick
germination and also ensures better stand.
 Fertilizer management

• Apply FYM at 12.5 t/ha during last ploughing

Condition Recommended
• Irrigated crop 60: 30: 20 kg N P2O5 K2O
• Malt production 30 : 20 : 20
• Rainfed 40 : 20 : 20
 Method and Time of application
• 50% N and 100% P and K as basal. Remaining
50 % N at 30 DAS (Ist irrigation). In rainfed and
saline soils, entire fertilizer should be drilled
below 8 to10cm depth as basal.
• Light Textured soil: N should be applied in 3
splits. I as basal + II during first irrigation + III
during second irrigation.
 Water management
• It requires 200-250 mm water. 2-3 irrigations are
adequate. Light soil requires 4 irrigations.
Following are the critical growth stages for
irrigation.
• Seedling or sprouting stage
• Active tillering stage (30-35 DAS)
• Flag leaf
• Milling stage or soft dough stage.
• Of these active tillering stage around 30-35 DAS
and grain filling (60-65 DAS) are most critical.
 Weed management
• Up to 30 days is critical. Monocot and dicot
weeds found are similar to that of wheat.
• Post emergence application of Isoproturan 0.75
kg/ha + 0.5 kg/ha 2,4-D combination on 35-40
days (3-5 leaf stage) effectively control both
dicot and monocot weeds + one hand weeding
or pendimethalin (pre emergence) 1.0 kg/ha +
one hand weeding is economical than that of
two hand weedings.
 Barley based cropping system
• Barley being a short duration crop is more suitable
for rotation than wheat. The following are the
common rotations.
• Paddy - barley Cotton - barley
• Jowar - barley Maize - barley
• Bajra - barley Urdbean - barley
• Barley is grown mixed with crops like
• Chickpea + barley .
• Mustard + barley
• Pea + barley 5. Linseed + barley.
• Lentil + barley
 Harvest
• Similar to that of wheat.
• Timely harvest ensures quality grain and
prevent different losses.
• Threshing either by using animal or mechanical
threshers. Then winnowing and cleaning are
done.
• Storage of grains at 10-12% moisture level.
 Yield
• Grain: 3.0-3.5 t/ha; Straw :4.0-5.0 t/ha
• Hulled barley is not accepted by consumers.
• Now two improved huskless varieties viz.,
Karan 18 and Karan 19 have been released
and there is a great demand for them among
the farmers.
 Grain quality
• Barley flour doesn’t contain gluten
• Bread loaf darkens due to presence of
trysinase enzyme
• Two rowed varieties are best suited for milling
• Contains 11.5-11.8 % protein