Updating Rye and Barley Management Guidelines for Kentucky

Why the Research is Needed The boom in distilleries and growing public interest in locally grown foods has combined to generate much interest in barley and rye for Kentucky. These crops have not been studied extensively since intensive wheat management was developed in Kentucky. We conducted initial studies the past two seasons and would like to add to those trials this year. Methods We propose to modify the trials from the previous growing season, where we investigate seeding rates and nitrogen rates on barley and hybrid rye. Last year, we added 2-row "malting" barley varieties to the trial and we would like to conduct those trials again at Lexington and Princeton. We expect to include the 6-row barley Thoroughbred with the 2-row barleys as a comparison. The most likely range of treatments will include seeding rates of 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25 and 1.5 million seeds per acre. In the nitrogen rate study, we will include rates of 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 lb N/acre. The past two seasons, lines of rye lodged severely while hybrid rye remained erect and produced good yields. For this coming season, we would like to adjust the seeding rates study of hybrid rye to include 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.5 million seeds per acre and we would like to expand the study to more hybrids. For the hybrid ryes, we will do similar N rates on the new hybrids.