INFLUENCE OF SEEDING DATES, SEEDING RATES, AND FERTILIZERS ON TWO CULTIVARS OF BARLEY

Abstract

Two commercially suitable barley cultivars were compared for three years at different dates and rates of seeding and fertility levels. Conquest was significantly higher in yield than Olli and the differential magnitude increased as seeding was delayed. Olli matured 5 days earlier than Conquest when seeded early and 9 days earlier when seeded late. The two cultivars gave the same response to seeding rates and fertilizer treatments, and yields from seeding rates were not differentially affected by fertilizer treatments. The seeding rate of 67 kg/ha, considerably below the average used in practice, gave the highest yields. There were no significant differences in unit volume or kernel weights attributable to different treatments. The results indicated that the use of Conquest in a delayed seeding program could markedly increase the unit area production in central Alberta.