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Uses of barley: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Barley is a cereal grain. People often eat the grain as food. Some people also use the grain to make medicine.

Barley is most commonly used for heart disease and high cholesterol. It is also used for diabetes, obesity, cancer prevention, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses.

In manufacturing, barley is used as a food grain, natural sweetener, and as an ingredient for brewing beer and making alcoholic beverages.

The fiber in barley might lower cholesterol in people with high cholesterol. Barley may also reduce blood sugar and insulin levels. Barley seems to slow stomach emptying. This could help keep blood sugar stable and create a sensation of being full, which might help to control appetite.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

Likely Effective for

  • Heart disease. Barley products contain high amounts of fiber. Foods high in soluble fiber can be used as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet to prevent heart disease. Research shows that a person must eat at least 3.6 grams of soluble fiber each day to reduce the risk for heart disease.
  • High cholesterol. Research shows that taking barley reduces total cholesterol and “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The benefit might depend on the amount of barley taken.

Possibly Ineffective for

  • Colon cancer, rectal cancer. People who eat more fiber such as barley don’t seem to have a lower risk of developing colon cancer.

Insufficient Evidence for

  • Stomach cancer. People who eat more fiber such as barley as part of their diet seem to have a lower risk of getting stomach cancer.
  • A type of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis). Early research shows that eating food containing germinated barley daily for 4-24 weeks reduces the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Other research shows that taking a specific product (Profermin) containing barley and other ingredients for 8 weeks reduces symptoms of ulcerative colitis and increases the chance of disease remission.
  • Bronchitis.
  • Diabetes.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Stomach upset.
  • Boils, when applied to the skin.
  • Increasing strength and energy.
  • Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate barley for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Barley is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth. It might cause gas, bloating, or feelings of fullness in some people. This usually lessens with continued use. Barley can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

When applied to the skin: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if barley is safe. In some people, barley can cause an allergic reaction after it has been applied to the skin. Symptoms may include skin rash and difficulty breathing.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Barley is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth. It might cause gas, bloating, or feelings of fullness in some people. This usually lessens with continued use. Barley can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

When applied to the skin: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if barley is safe. In some people, barley can cause an allergic reaction after it has been applied to the skin. Symptoms may include skin rash and difficulty breathing. Pregnancy: Barley is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth during pregnancy in amounts commonly found in foods. Barley sprouts are POSSIBLY UNSAFE and should not be eaten in high amounts during pregnancy.

Breast-feeding: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if barley is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity: The gluten in barley can make celiac disease worse. Avoid using barley.

Allergies to cereal grains: Consuming barley might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to other cereal grains, including rye, wheat, oat, corn and rice. An allergic reaction is also possible in people allergic to grass.

Interactions ?

    Moderate Interaction

    Be cautious with this combination

  • Barley seems to reduce the amount of triclabendazole that the body can absorb and use. However, it is not clear if this is a big concern. Until more is known, people taking triclabendazole should use barley with caution.

Dosing

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

ADULTS

BY MOUTH:

  • For heart disease: Barley products that contain 3.6 grams of beta-glucan (soluble fiber) daily, as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.
  • For high cholesterol: 3 grams of barley oil extract, 30 grams of barley bran flour, or up to 6 grams of soluble fiber from barley have been used. In some cases, barley has been added to a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step I diet. Pearled barley, or barley flour, flakes, or powder in doses of 3-12 grams daily have also been used.

View References

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
© Therapeutic Research Faculty 2020.

9 Impressive Health Benefits of Barley

Barley is one of the most widely consumed grains in the American diet (1).

This versatile grain has a somewhat chewy consistency and a slightly nutty flavor that can complement many dishes.

It’s also rich in many nutrients and packs some impressive health benefits, ranging from improved digestion and weight loss to lower cholesterol levels and a healthier heart.

Here are 9 evidence-based health benefits of barley.

1. Rich in Many Beneficial Nutrients

Barley is rich in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds.

It’s available in many forms, ranging from hulled barley to barley grits, flakes and flour.

Almost all forms of barley utilize the whole grain — except for pearl barley, which has been polished to remove some or all of the outer bran layer along with the hull.

When consumed as a whole grain, barley is a particularly rich source of fiber, molybdenum, manganese and selenium. It also contains good amounts of copper, vitamin B1, chromium, phosphorus, magnesium and niacin (2).

Additionally, barley packs lignans, a group of antioxidants linked to a lower risk of cancer and heart disease (3).

However, like all whole grains, barley does have antinutrients, which impair your body’s digestion and nutrient absorption.

Try soaking or sprouting the grain to reduce the antinutrient content. These preparation methods make barley’s nutrients more absorbable (4, 5).

Soaking and sprouting may also increase vitamin, mineral, protein and antioxidant levels (6, 7).

What’s more, you can use sprouted barley flour for baking.

Summary Whole grain barley contains a range of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds. Soaking or sprouting your barley can improve absorption of these nutrients.

2. Reduces Hunger and May Help You Lose Weight

Barley may reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness — both of which may lead to weight loss over time.

Barley lessens hunger largely through its high fiber content. A soluble fiber known as beta-glucan is particularly helpful.

That’s because soluble fibers, such as beta-glucan, tend to form a gel-like substance in your gut, which slows the digestion and absorption of nutrients. In turn, this curbs your appetite and promotes fullness (8, 9, 10).

A review of 44 studies found that soluble fibers, such as beta-glucan, are the most effective type of fiber for reducing appetite and food intake (11).

What’s more, soluble fiber may target belly fat associated with metabolic disease (12).

Summary Barley contains soluble fiber, which reduces hunger and enhances feelings of fullness. It may even promote weight loss.

3. Insoluble and Soluble Fiber Content Improves Digestion

Barley can boost your intestinal health.

Once again, its high fiber content is responsible — and in this case, particularly its insoluble fiber.

Most of the fiber found in barley is insoluble, which — unlike soluble fiber — does not dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk to your stool and accelerates intestinal movement, reducing your likelihood of constipation (13).

In one four-week study in adult women, eating more barley improved bowel function and increased stool volume (14).

On the other hand, barley’s soluble fiber content provides food for friendly gut bacteria, which, in turn, produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Research shows that SCFAs help feed gut cells, reducing inflammation and improving symptoms of gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (15, 16, 17).

Summary Barley’s high fiber content helps food move through your gut and promotes a good balance of gut bacteria, both of which play important roles in digestion.

4. May Prevent Gallstones and Reduce Your Risk of Gallbladder Surgery

Barley’s high fiber content may also help prevent gallstones.

Gallstones are solid particles that can form spontaneously in your gallbladder, a small organ located under the liver. The gallbladder produces bile acids which your body uses to digest fat.

In most cases, gallstones don’t cause any symptoms. However, from time to time, large gallstones can get stuck in a duct of your gallbladder, causing intense pain. Such cases often require surgery to remove the gallbladder.

The type of insoluble fiber found in barley may help prevent the formation of gallstones and reduce the likelihood of gallbladder surgery.

In one 16-year observational study, women with the highest amounts of fiber intake were 13% less likely to develop gallstones requiring gallbladder removal.

This benefit appears to be dose-related, as every 5-gram increase in insoluble fiber intake dropped gallstone risk by around 10% (18).

In another study, obese individuals were put on one of two rapid weight loss diets — one rich in fiber, the other in protein. Rapid weight loss can increase the risk of developing gallstones.

After five weeks, participants on the fiber-rich diet were three times likelier to have healthy gallbladders than those on the protein-rich diet (19).

Summary The type of insoluble fiber found in barley may prevent the formation of gallstones, helping your gallbladder function normally and reducing your risk of surgery.

5. Beta-Glucans May Help Lower Cholesterol

Barley may also lower your cholesterol levels.

The beta-glucans found in barley have been shown to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol by binding to bile acids.

Your body removes these bile acids — which your liver produces from cholesterol — via the feces.

Your liver must then use up more cholesterol to make new bile acids, in turn lowering the amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood (20).

In one small study, men with high cholesterol were put on a diet rich in whole wheat, brown rice or barley.

After five weeks, those given barley reduced their cholesterol levels by 7% more than participants on the other two diets.

What’s more, the barley group also increased their “good” HDL cholesterol and reduced their triglyceride levels the most (21).

A recent review evaluating 14 randomized control trials — the gold standard in scientific research — found similar results (22).

Lab, animal and human studies also show that the SCFAs produced when healthy gut bacteria feed on soluble fiber may help prevent cholesterol production as well, further reducing cholesterol levels (23, 24).

Summary The type of insoluble fiber found in barley appears to reduce cholesterol levels by preventing its formation and increasing its excretion through the feces.

6. May Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Whole grains are consistently linked to better heart health. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that regularly adding barley to your diet may lower your risk of heart disease.

That’s because barley may lower certain risk factors — in addition to reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, barley’s soluble fiber may bring blood pressure levels down (25).

In fact, a recent review of randomized control studies observed that an average intake of 8.7 grams of soluble fiber per day may be linked to a modest 0.3–1.6 mmHg reduction in blood pressure (26).

High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol are two known risk factors for heart disease. Thus, reducing them may protect your heart.

Summary Regularly adding barley to your diet may reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol.

7. Magnesium and Soluble Fiber May Protect Against Diabetes

Barley may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin secretion.

This is in part due to barley’s rich magnesium content — a mineral that plays an important role in insulin production and your body’s use of sugar (27).

Barley is also rich in soluble fiber, which binds with water and other molecules as it moves through your digestive tract, slowing down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream (28, 29).

Research shows that a barley breakfast provides a lower maximum rise in blood sugar and insulin levels than a breakfast consisting of other whole grains, such as oats (30).

In another study, participants with impaired fasting glucose were given either oatmeal or barley flakes daily. After three months, fasting blood sugar and insulin levels decreased by 9–13% more for those eating barley (31).

Summary Whole-grain barley may help improve insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels, both of which may reduce the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.

8. May Help Prevent Colon Cancer

A diet rich in whole grains is generally linked to a lower likelihood of many chronic diseases, including certain cancers — especially those of the colon (32, 33).

Again, barley’s high fiber content plays a central role.

Its insoluble fiber specifically helps reduce the time food takes to clear your gut, which appears particularly protective against colon cancers. Additionally, soluble fiber may bind to harmful carcinogens in your gut, removing them from your body (34, 35).

Other compounds found in barley — including antioxidants, phytic acid, phenolic acids and saponins — may further protect against cancer or slow its development (36).

That said, more human studies are needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.

Summary Fiber and other beneficial compounds found in barley may fight off certain types of cancer, particularly those of the colon. However, more research is needed.

9. Versatile and Easy to Add to Your Diet

Barley is cheap and incredibly easy to add to your diet.

Due to its high fiber content, barley can make a great alternative to more refined grains.

For instance, you can use it as a side dish instead of couscous or white pasta. Barley is also a great alternative to white rice dishes such as pilaf or risotto.

Barley can likewise be added to soups, stuffings, stews, salads and loaves or eaten as part of a hot cereal breakfast.

You can also simply buy whole grain bread that contains barley.

For a unique twist, add barley to desserts — barley pudding and barley ice cream are just two options.

Summary Barley is cheap, edible warm or cold and easily added to a variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The Bottom Line

Barley is a very healthy grain. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds.

It’s also high in fiber, which is responsible for most of its health benefits, ranging from a better digestion to reduced hunger and weight loss.

What’s more, making barley a regular ingredient in your diet may offer protection from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and even certain types of cancer.

To reap the most benefits, avoid processed, pearled barley and stick to whole-grain varieties like hulled barley or barley grits, flakes and flour.

tillage, fertilization and plant protection products

Agrochemistry
crop production
March 10, 2023

Text: V. A. Vorontsov, Cand. s.-x. sciences, ved. scientific collaborator department of agriculture; Yu. P. Skorochkin, Ph.D. s.-x. sciences, head. Department of Agriculture, Tambov Research Institute of Agriculture – branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center named after A.I. I. V. Michurin»

Cultivation of barley, including for the brewing industry, is a profitable direction in crop production. The volume of crop production has increased markedly in recent years. To maximize the use of its potential, to obtain good yields of high quality, a comprehensive impact on all aspects of cultivation technology is necessary.

The improvement of approaches should move along the path of optimizing the system of complex application of mineral fertilizers, chemical plant protection products and soil cultivation methods. The significance of this task is especially growing in connection with the aggravation of economic problems in agricultural production.

CONSIDER ALL FACTORS

In 2019–2021, specialists from the Tambov Research Institute of Agriculture, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center named after A.I. I. V. Michurin, a comparative agrotechnological and economic assessment of barley cultivation technologies with different levels of use of chemicals and methods of basic tillage was carried out. The studies were carried out under the conditions of a stationary multifactorial field experiment.

The soil of the plot was represented by typical, powerful, heavy loamy chernozem on loess-like loam. The content of humus was 7–7.3%; mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium were 200 and 180 mg/kg of soil, respectively. In the stationary experiment, the method of split plots was used. The experiment was three-factor, repetition three times. Agrotechnics for the cultivation of spring barley was generally accepted for the zone. In the crops, the variety of domestic selection Chakinsky 221 was used. The studies were carried out in a typical for the region grain-fallow crop rotation with the following alternation: bare fallow, winter wheat, sugar beet, barley. Weather conditions evolved in different ways, which made it possible to follow the effect of the studied factors in different circumstances. The best moisture supply for the growing season of the crop was in 2019year. In 2020 and 2021, the amount of precipitation was less than the average annual data by 27.5 and 29.7% and amounted to 171 and 166.3 mm, respectively. All years of experiments were distinguished by elevated temperature conditions. In general, the moisture indicators during critical stages in relation to moisture were not entirely favorable, which did not allow plants to maximize their productivity potential.

In the course of the experiment, four methods of basic tillage for barley – factor A were studied. The first approach involved plowing to a depth of 20–22 cm with a PLN-5-35 plow against the background of a deep tillage of 27–30 cm preceding the crop rotation. In the second case, a non-moldboard technology was used 20–22 cm with the PCh-2.5 tool, which was preceded by processing without reversing the seam by 27–30 cm. In the third plot, a similar method was used after deep plowing by 27–30 cm. The fourth approach implied shallow, surface cultivation with the BDT- 3 to a depth of 8–10 cm against the background of the previous same operation. In all cases, the main soil preparation was preceded by loosening with the BDT-3 tool by 8–10 cm after harvesting the predecessor. Factor B was the dose of mineral supplements: N30P30K30, N40P40K40, N60P60K60. As a fertilizer, azophoska was used with a content of each element of 16%, applied in the fall for the main operation. Plant protection products became factor C. These included seed dressing as a background, as well as the use of a combination of herbicide, fungicide and insecticide.

POSITIVE ROLE

As studies have shown, the highest barley yield on average for 2019-2021 was obtained on plowed plots: without protective equipment, the indicator was 3.81 t/ha, with the use of their complex – 4.14 t/ha. The replacement of such soil cultivation with chisel tillage reduced the productivity of the crop by 0.19–0.25 t/ha, and by disking by 0.5–0.53 t/ha. At the same time, the use of non-moldboard technology, implemented against the background of the previous deep moldboard cultivation in the crop rotation, ensured the harvest at the level of 3.85–4.12 t/ha. The positive role of plowing was most clearly seen in years with insufficient rainfall: the difference in the level of yield increase compared to ploughless methods was 0. 22–1.2 t/ha in the case of surface operation, 0.24–0.29t/ha for chisel cultivation. In a normal humidity year, the difference decreased to 0.13 t/ha.

Long-term stationary studies conducted on typical chernozems have shown the high efficiency of fertilizers. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the combined use of fertilizers and plant protection products gave the highest results. At the same time, the average yield of barley for the variants of the experiment was 3.94 t/ha, which was 0.29 t/ha more than when only mineral preparations were applied. With an increase in their doses, the productivity of the culture also increased. Thus, during plowing, an increase from (NPK)30 to (NPK)40 without pesticides contributed to an increase in yields by 0.15 t/ha. Similar patterns in yield were also noted when using non-moldboard loosening as the main tillage.

It should be noted that doubling the rate of mineral fertilizers did not lead to a further significant increase in productivity – the increase was fixed at the dose level (NPK)40. The barley yield value for plowing with a low nutritional background (NPK)30 was achieved by replacing this tillage with a non-moldboard technology with a doubling of the dose of additives in combination with plant protection products.

COST CALCULATION

The analysis of the obtained crop showed that the use of fertilizers together with pesticides improved its structure in basically all respects. The elements practically did not depend on the methods of the main tillage, with the exception of the surface one, where some components, in particular the height of the plant, the number of grains per ear, and the density of the stem, turned out to be lower than in the plowed plots.

In the framework of the studies, the lowest total costs were recorded with shallow surface technology, the highest – with plowing. The use of fertilizers and plant protection products increased this figure. As a result of calculations, it was found that the maximum amount of net income at all levels of fertilization was noted in the variant with chisel tillage and deep plowing preceding the crop rotation: with a low background of nutrition (NPK)30 – 10,527. 44 rubles/ha, on average (NPK )40 — 10 939.93 rubles/ha, when applying (NPK)60 – 9551.46 rubles/ha. The use of plant protection products increased this indicator by 12.2–13.8%. It should be noted that with an increase in the doses of fertilizers, the cost of the obtained products increased, which was typical both for plots without pesticides and with their use. The lowest indicator was 1,713 rubles/t and was observed during chisel cultivation and low background nutrition (NPK)30 after deep plowing preceding the crop rotation.

SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS

The impact on crops with a complex of protection products contributed to an increase in profitability relative to options without their introduction. The highest level of this indicator, equal to 172.8%, was recorded on the plot with chisel technology and the previous deep plowing in the crop rotation and low nutritional background (NPK)30 together with pesticides. An increase in the dose of mineral fertilizers reduced this indicator, which was typical for all methods of basic tillage, both with and without a full set of protective equipment. The lowest level of profitability was observed when growing barley using a technology based on surface cultivation of the soil. A similar situation was traced on various backgrounds of fertilizer with a full range of pesticides and without their use. Analyzing the above, we can conclude that the barley growing technology based on non-moldboard basic tillage using a chisel plow turned out to be more cost-effective. It should be carried out on the previous deep plowing in the crop rotation.

Thus, the conducted studies have shown that in the conditions of the northeastern part of the Central Chernozem zone on typical chernozems with a high content of mobile forms of nutrients, when cultivating barley in a grain-fallow crop rotation, one can limit oneself to technologies with a low level of fertilizer application. They should also include the use of chisel tillage and the application of plant protection products. On less fertile lands, the doses of mineral fertilizers should be adjusted.

Agrotechnical features of the cultivation of spring barley. Part 1

Photo:glavagronom.ru

Importance of spring barley in crop rotation.

Olga MOZHEIKO, GlavAgronom

Barley is an important food and strategic crop not only in the Russian Federation, but all over the world. Barley is the fourth largest cereal crop in the world, behind only wheat, corn and rice. And both in terms of sowing areas and production volumes.

The leader in gross barley production is Russia, ahead of France, Germany, Australia and other countries. In general, in recent years, the total area under barley around the world amounted to about 50 million hectares with a production volume of 140-150 million tons of grain, depending on the year.

Nikolay Tetyannikov, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Researcher at the Field Crops Laboratory of the Plant Gene Pool and Bioresources Department of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, in the framework of the webinar, spoke about the features of spring barley cultivation, the role in crop rotation, optimal and unfavorable predecessors, technological features of soil preparation for sowing of the spring form of culture.

Area under grain crops in the Russian Federation (farms of all categories, thousand ha)

Place of barley in the Russian crop rotation

Barley occupies one of the leading positions in Russia. According to Rosstat, in recent years, barley sown areas amounted to about 8 million hectares with some fluctuation over the years, with an average yield of about 2.4 t/ha.

First of all, such a demand and prevalence of barley is due to the fact that this crop has:

  • high yield potential;
  • adaptability to different climatic conditions of cultivation;
  • relatively short growing season;
  • high responsiveness when applying mineral fertilizers;
  • good nutritional value.

There are a large number of morphological and physiological forms of barley, including winter, spring, fodder, malt, food barley, etc.

Due to the variety of forms, the crop can be cultivated virtually everywhere.

Productivity of grain crops in the Russian Federation (farms of all categories, c/ha)

Cultivated barley is an annual plant of spring and winter type, there are also two-handled varieties. Spring barley is well adapted to various soil and climatic conditions, has high drought resistance, early maturity and cold resistance.

Due to the poorly developed root system, plants do not tolerate spring drought in the booting phase – it is during this period that plants are most sensitive to lack of water.

In the heading phase, the lack of soil moisture has an adverse effect on the crop.

Depending on the variety and growing conditions, the growing season can vary from 60 to 120 days.

Winter barley is characterized by an earlier start of vegetation. The vegetation period of winter barley is 12-16 days shorter than that of the spring form, and also significantly shorter than that of winter wheat. As a rule, it is cultivated in areas with mild winters due to the fact that varieties of winter barley are less winter hardy.

Photo:glavagronom.ru

Winter barley

The main areas in Russia for the cultivation of winter barley are concentrated in the North Caucasus. Overwintering winter barley is problematic. In practice, in the southern arid regions, snow retention is often carried out.

Barley does not tolerate stagnant water, for this reason, when choosing a land plot for sowing barley, they try not to place crops in humid areas, especially in lowlands. If there is a risk of flooding, measures should be taken to remove excess moisture in a timely manner.

Two-handled barley varieties are used mainly for “repairing” winter crops, as insurance undersowing, if a high percentage of crop thinning or their complete death is predicted against the background of autumn weather conditions, the use of these varieties allows you to maintain the optimal level of winter barley yield.

These varieties finish their vegetation later than typical winter varieties. In the spring, it is renewed earlier, which contributes to better development with later shoots, especially in dry conditions.

Two-handled barley varieties have high winter hardiness.

Barley grain is widely used in various industries. Each industry has its own grain requirements. Barley occupies an important place in the livestock industry, where it is used for cattle feed, added to daily nutrition, including as mixed feed. Feed barley should be characterized by a high protein content, with a high content of vitamins, minerals, amino acids in the grain, necessary for a good metabolism in animals.

Straw and chaff are used as roughage for livestock, in the northern and high mountain regions barley is cultivated for green fodder. To enrich the green mass with protein, they try to sow it in mixtures with various annual legumes – in the south of Russia, barley is often used in grass mixtures.

The second area of ​​barley use is the alcohol and brewing industry, where barley grain is used primarily to produce malt, which is an important technological step in brewing or making other alcoholic products.

In the alcohol industry, the focus is on grains with a higher starch content and less protein. In this case, the grain must have a good ability to germinate. For brewing, varieties that produce larger grains with a low protein content of about 9 to 12% are considered valuable.

The third direction is the food industry: barley is used as barley and barley groats.

Naked barley is of undoubted interest, both for practical breeding and for production. As studies show, in comparison with the membranous forms, naked is characterized by an increased content of protein, essential amino acids, which is reflected in its nutritional value and feeding qualities.

Interesting facts about skinless barley

  • The protein content of skinless barley is higher than that of hulled barley and can reach 17.0%;
  • the content of lysine in the grain of naked barley is 1.5 times higher than that of hulled barley. According to the content of arginine and histidine, the excess of indicators in naked barley is 28% higher than in hulled barley. In terms of the content of leucine and isoleucine, naked barley exceeds hulled barley by 42.8%;
  • the sum of amino acids in naked barley is 52.4% higher than in hulled barley and is approximately 16.4 and 10.7%, respectively;
  • the content of β-glucans in barley grain is from 2 to 11%, on average 4-7%, while the content of β-glucans in wheat grain does not exceed 0.2%;
  • the content of -tocopherols and -tocotrienols in barley grain oil is 24 and 17 times higher, respectively, than in corn oil.

(according to Nesterenko V.V., Kuznetsova T.E., Serkin N.V.)

From a cost-effectiveness point of view, the absence of films also facilitates the work of harvesting, processing and processing such grain.

As shown by the practical results carried out by a number of researchers, the use of naked grain as part of animal feed in the diet of animals helps to increase their productivity.

One of the main factors limiting its cultivation is the low seed weight in comparison with the hulled varieties and generally unstable yields over the years.

Photo: glavagronom.ru

Winter barley after temperature difference.

Other problems include:

  • low resistance to lodging;
  • relatively low germination;
  • probability of injury to embryos;
  • high susceptibility to fungal diseases.

In the countries of East and South-East Asia, where naked barley is most common, these issues are solved by selection.

Forms with filmy grain predominate in the sowing structure of barley. The main breeding work in Russia is carried out directly on varieties with filmy grain. Currently, 267 varieties of spring barley are registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, of which about 3% fall to the share of naked varieties.

Rating of 10 varieties (hybrids) of barley in terms of sowing volume in the Russian Federation in 2021 one variety of naked barley.

Nevertheless, the results of Omsk Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk, Volgograd and Khabarovsk breeders, who created competitive varieties of naked barley, which are not particularly inferior in yield, can testify to the possibilities of obtaining competitive varieties. At the same time, the bred varieties are characterized by high nutritional value.

Breeding for the creation of naked varieties is underway and will expand over time, but at the moment there is no need to talk about the wide distribution of naked varieties.

Spring barley cultivation technology

Agro-technological methods of barley cultivation can differ greatly depending on the direction of grain use, soil characteristics, climatic conditions in the region. However, the basic principles of spring barley cultivation remain the same.

Any technology starts with a variety. It is necessary to use varieties that have passed state variety testing, entered in the register of breeding achievements and approved for use in each region.

The entire territory of our country is divided into 12 regions, which include the corresponding regions. Depending on the purpose of use, it is necessary to choose varieties suitable for cultivation in this particular direction for a particular region.

Place of spring barley in the crop rotation

Barley has an underdeveloped root system, low assimilation capacity, short period of intensive nutrient consumption. The culture is very demanding on growing conditions, which is associated with the need to obtain easily digestible forms of nutrients, especially in the initial period of development.

The choice of predecessors and placement of barley in crop rotations depends on the soil-climatic, economic and other conditions. The best forerunners are those that leave the field more or less weed free, with optimal amounts of nutrients readily available to the plant. These requirements are met by tilled crops, legumes and winter crops, which were sown on a bare fallow.

If spring crops are used as precursors, it must be understood that due to the presence of carrion and the creation of a basis for the development of pests and diseases (especially root rots), the yield can be reduced by about 20-25%.

Malting barley should not be placed after leguminous crops, clover, row crops with a large application of nitrogen mineral fertilizers. A large amount of nitrogen in the soil contributes to an increase in the protein content in the grain.

Scientists have the same opinion about rapeseed, if it is used as a precursor – after harvesting, a large amount of nitrogen remains in the soil. For the same reason, it is undesirable to sow leguminous grasses under malting barley.

The use of row crops as a forerunner can increase yields by 10-40% compared to cereals, i.e. after potatoes, the yield was 4 t/ha, after rye, the yield will already be about 3.9t/ha, after oats 3.6 t/ha.

Features of autumn soil preparation for sowing spring barley

When cultivating spring barley, a two-stage tillage is provided: the main tillage occurs in autumn and is necessary to create favorable conditions in the soil for seed germination, improve water, air and thermal conditions.

Soil treated in autumn accumulates more moisture, freezes more, due to which pests, pathogens and vegetative organs of perennial weeds die in it.

If barley is placed after row crops, after harvesting it is necessary to carry out plowing with a plow or surface treatment with heavy disc harrows.

After stubble predecessors, autumn tillage consists of timely stubble peeling and subsequent autumn plowing. As a rule, it is held no later than the third decade of September. In some cases, for better incorporation of root-stem residues, for example, corn or sunflower, they are crushed by disking before plowing. When performing peeling, the depth when passing by disk implements will be 6-8 cm.0003

After late-harvested crops, which are mainly in the fields until the second half of September – early October, the need for peeling is eliminated, because due to low temperatures, weeds and carrion no longer sprout. After peeling, plowing is carried out after 2-3 weeks.

In most regions, early autumn plowing is usually used with plows with skimmers to a depth of 20-22 cm. On heavy and waterlogged soils, chiselling is carried out to a depth of 40-50 cm.