Scenario of Barley Production in context of Nepal

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) occupied fifth position among the cereal crop in terms of area and production in Nepal after rice, maize, wheat and finger millet (CBS, 2008). It has also been mentioned in Hindu religious books and it is still used as an essential item in many ritual occasions and religious worship. It is one of the crops grown in stress conditions by the people living in the high hills and mountainous regions of the country. This crop has the capacity to grow in marginal environmental condition with little inputs management. It is used by the marginalized people in harsh condition particularly in low temperature region to sustain their livelihood however; the crop is extensively used for the production of malt in other countries. So, this is one of the valuable food as well as religious crop at present. Barley occupies total area of 25817 hectare and total production of 23224 metric ton with average productivity of 900 kg/ha in Nepal (CBS, 2008). The maximum area of the crop lies in the mid-western development region. The tendency of barley growing area and its production were intermittent within five years which could be due to replacement of barley area by wheat because of the availability of drought resistant wheat varieties. The area of barley has been decreasing by 1.3 % as compared to last year (HCRP, 2008).

Soil Required:

Barley crop farming can be done on a variety of soil types, however, sandy to moderately heavy loam soils of Indo-Gangetic Plains having neutral to mild saline reaction and medium fertility are the most suitable types for barley cultivation. Having better salt tolerance barley is also grown in saline areas of various states. In drought affected areas also barley is crop of choice among cereals due to low input requirements especially water and nutrients.

Barley Sowing Process

Soil preparation:
Field is prepared with disc harrow and cultivator then planking is done. Land levelling is very important as barley crop is very sensitive to excess water and nitrogen. Appropriate bunding of field is essential for proper irrigation. In case of irrigated barley cultivation, pre-sowing is essential for proper germination.

Barley Seed treatment

• For management of Loose Smut, seeds should be treated with Bavistin or Vitavax @ 2gm/kg seeds.
• The covered smut can be controlled by seed treatment with 1:1 mixture of Thiram + Bavistin or Vitavax @ 2.5 gm/kg.
• If termite problem is observed in fields, treat the seed with 150 ml Chloropyriphos (20EC) or 250 ml Formathion (25EC) in 5-liter water for 100 kg seeds to avoid the loss due to termite attack.

Barley sowing method:

The best sowing method is line sowing through seed drill. Some farmers also use a “chonga” fixed on a traditional plough to drop seeds.
Barley seed spacing for timely sowing is 23 cm, for malt barley it is 18-20 cm and for late sowing is 18-20 cm.

Weed management:
Barley is a fast-growing crop and generally weed problem can be avoided if proper crop stand is maintained.

• For narrow leaf weeds Pinoxidin (Axial 5 EC) should be used at the dose of 350 ml in 120 liters of water for one acre at 30-35 days after sowing.
• For broad leaf weeds Metsulfuron (Algrip) 8 g in 120 liters of water for one acre at 30-35 days after sowing. Another weedicide is 2,4-D at the rate of 500 ml in 120 liters of water for one acre after 30-35 days of sowing.

For both broad leaf and narrow leaf weeds Isoproturan (Iso Guard 75 WP) 500 g in 120 liters of water for one acre 30-35 days after sowing. The Pendimethalin (Stomp) can be used at the dose of 1.2 liter to 1.5 liter per acre in 120.

Irrigation Requirement:
Barley crop can be grown in irrigated, limited irrigation and rainfed conditions depending upon the area of cultivation. Specific varieties are there for different conditions. Barley normally requires 2-3 irrigations.

Give:

• 1st irrigation at 25-30 days after seed sowing (when crown root initiates)
• 2nd irrigation at 65-75 days after seed sowing (when panicle emerges)
• 3rd at 90-95 days after sowing during grain formation stage.

Fertilizers:

Mainly Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are required for Barley crop. It is always better to get soil health card of the field for better management of nutrients.

Requirements:

• For timely sown irrigated crop, 60 kg/ha of N, 30 kg/ha of P and 20kg/ha of K.
• For late sown irrigated crop, 60 kg/ha of N, 30 kg/ha of P and 20kg/ha of K.
• For malt barley, 80 kg/ha of N, 40 kg/ha of P and 20kg/ha of K.
• For rainfed crop in plain region, 30 kg/ha of N, 20 kg/ha of P and 20 kg/ha of K.
• For rainfed crop in hilly region, 40 kg/ha of N, 20 kg/ha of P and 20kg/ha of K.

For irrigated crop, apply ½ N, full P and K as basal application. Apply the other ½ N as top dressing after 30 days of sowing or 1st irrigation. For rainfed crop full dose of NPK is given as basal dose.

The fertilizer application should be based upon soil health card and in case of Zn deficiency, apply ZnSO4 as 8 kg per acre. Application of other micronutrients should be done based upon soil testing/deficiency symptoms.

Pest & Diseases:

Major diseases of barley crop are Loose Smut, Covered Smut, Rusts and blight. Among the pest’s aphids may cause considerable damage if not controlled. In some areas of Rajasthan and Haryana Molya disease (caused by cereal cyst nematodes) also occurs.

The occurrence of disease takes place due to use of non-resistant varieties, weather conditions and area of cultivation. Therefore, always improved varieties with disease resistance should be used. A few pests and diseases can be controlled through seed treatment. For others, you must contact your nearest agricultural department for the management of diseases and pests.

Harvesting:

Barley crop gets ready for harvest by the end of March to first fortnight of April in different areas. Barley spikes are susceptible to shattering, therefore crop should be harvested when it matures to avoid breakage of spikes due to dryness on over maturity and in case of harvest with combines to avoid grain breakage.

Barley Uses:

• Barley grain is mainly used as animal feed (65-70 %), malt for industrial uses (25-30%) and directly as human food (around 2%).
• Barley straw is used as animal feed either directly fed to the animal or used for silage.
• Green leaves are also used as green forage in the areas where other forage crops cannot be grown.
• Malt is the second largest use of barley and malting barley is grown as a cash crop.
• The utilization of barley for malting and brewing industry has picked up recently with an increase of consumption of beer and other malt-based products in many countries including India.
• Barley has been recognized as functional food and is part of some multigrain products. In India, its utilization as food crop (mainly hull less type) is restricted to the tribal areas of hills and plains.
• The barley products like “Sattu” and “missi” roti have been traditionally used in India.
• Barley is used as medical imaging drink at University of Buffalo.

Barley Health Benefits:

• Barley is one of the cereals having higher content of soluble fibers “β-glucans’ which have been shown to decrease blood cholesterol level and blood glucose levels. Therefore, consumption of barley plays very important role in cardiovascular health and management of type-II diabetes.
• Barley has low glycemic index as compared to the staples like wheat & rice, thus it helps in weight management.
• Barley has been shown to have higher satiety index leading to better diet management.
• Consumption of barley has been shown to improve gut health and thus probably helps in prevention of colon cancer.
  Barley has good amounts of anti-oxidants and thus its consumption helps the body in management of metabolic related diseases.