BARLEY AND WHEAT
COMPARISONS FOR ALABAMA
George V. Granade
PROGRESS REPORT 119 APRIL 1984
INTEREST IN BARLEY as livestock and poultry
feed has increased recently in Alabama. 
The objec-
tive of this report is to examine the potential of barley
in northern, central, and southern Alabama. Com-
parisons were made between barley and wheat yields
from 1970 to 1983 using data from the Small Grain
Variety Reports for Alabama.
Both barley and wheat were tested for 
grain pro-
duction in northern Alabama at three locations 
from
1971 to 1983; central Alabama at four locations 
from
1970 to 1981; and in southern Alabama at five 
loca-
tions from 1970 to 1974. Yields are 
reported as
regional averages for unclipped 
plots.
Clipped plots were harvested fo rage yield until
late February to simulate grazing 
and then allowed
to make a grain 
crop.
In northern Alabama, barley grain yields 
on un-
clipped plots ranged from 432 pounds per acre 
to
3,360 pounds per acre, while wheat grain 
yields
ranged from 660 pounds to 3,840 pounds per acre,
figure 1. Barley grain yields on the clipped plots
ranged from 432 poundsper acre to 3,312 
pounds per
acre and wheat grain yields from 600 pounds to 
3,780
pounds per acre, figure 2. Weight per bushel for
wheat and barley averages 60 and 48 pounds, re-
spectively.
Barsoy barley, Arthur wheat, Ga. 1123 wheat, and
Wakeland wheat were the only varieties grown from
1971 to 1983. On the unclipped plots during 
this
period, Barsoy barley average gramn yield 
was 1,972
pounds per acre, while the Arthur wheat, Ga. 1123
wheat, and Wakeland wheat were 
1,837, 1,874, and
1,805 pounds per acre, mectively, 
figure 3. The
clipped plots had grain yids 
of 1,802 pounds per
acre for Barsoy brP1,950,1,597, 
and 1,463 pounds
per acre for Arthur wheat, Ga. 1123 
wheat, and
Wakeland wheat, respectively, 
figure 3. However,
'George V. Granade Research 
Associate, Department of
Agronomy and Soils.
these wheat varieties are full season which mature
later than the barley varieties. A better comparison
would be Coker 916 wheat, Coker 762 wheat, and
McNair 1003 wheat, which mature about the same
time as barley. Volbar barley and Keowee barley are
newer varieties which have more consistent yields.
In a 4-year (1980-83) comparison of 
barley and
wheat varieties on upclipped plots, Volbar barley
grain yield averaged 2,628 pounds per acre, Barsoy
barley grain 2,377 pounds, and Keowee barley 
grain
yield was 2,112 pounds per acre, while Coker 762
wheat grain yield averaged 2,550 pounds, Coker 916
wheat 2,520 pounds, and McNair 1003 wheat grain
averaged 2,220 pounds per acre, figure 4. On the
clipped plots, grain yields ranged from 2,292 to 2,892
pounds per acre for the barley, while the wheats
ranged from 2,05b to 2,520 pounds, figure 4.
In central Alabama, barley yields for unclipped
plots ranged from 336 pounds per acre to 3,600
pounds per acre, while wheat yields ranged from 480
to 4,380 pounds per acre, figure 5. Clipped plots
ranged from 240 to 3,456 pounds per acre for barley
and 420 pounds per acre to 3,600 pounds for wheat
during the 12-year period, figure 6. Barsoy barley
and Coker 68-15 wheat and Wakeland wheat were
the only varieties planted each year fromi 1970 to
1981. For this period on unclipped plots, Bqrsoy had
an average grain yield of 1,676 pounds per acre,
while the grain yield for Coker 68-15 was 1,870
pounds and that for Wakeland was 1495 pounds per
acre, figure 7. Grain yields per acre during the same
period on clipped plots were: Barsoy, 1,504 pounds;
Coker 68-15, 1,475 pounds and Wakeland, 1,225
pounds. Coker 916 is an early recommended variety
of wheat and matures about the same time as the
barley varieti6s tested. Wakeland has been discon-
tinued in the small grain variety trails in central and
southern Alabama for grain production. Coker 68-15
wheat matures approximately 2-3 weeks later than
Barsoy barley. Although not shown on the graph, in
1981 Coker 916 produced 4,560 and 3,900 pounds per
acre of grain, while Barsoy yielded 3,600 and 3,024
ALABAMA AGRICUL EM~1~ IMENT STATION
GALE A. BUhe ,CANWlmot dAEc O
AUBURN UNIVERSIY
AUBURN UNIVERSI1Y ALABAMA
on fhe
~m~st to 3,3
AAII
pounds per acre on unclipped and clipped plots,
respectively.
Volbar is a newer barley variety that is more dis-
ease resistant than Barsoy and appears to have more
consistent yields figures 5 and 6. However, overall
barley grain yields appear to be about 200 pounds per
acre below wheat yields.
In southern Alabama, five barley varieties were
planted during the 1970 to 1974 period, figures 8 and
9. The performance of Florida 102, which was planted
in all years except 1971, illustrates the inconsistency
of barley with yields ranging from 240 pounds to
1,344 pounds per acre on the unclipped and 240
pounds to 1,248 pounds 
per acre on the clipped plots,
figures 8 and 9. Yields 
from wheat varieties 
were 100
to 200 pounds per acre higher than the barleys in
1970 and as much as 700 pounds per acre higher in
1972.
In conclusion, the data indicate that currently
available barley varieties probably should not be
grown in southern Alabama, but can be grown in
northern Alabama and may have some potential for
central Alabama. Barley has the advantage of mat-
uring earlier than many of the wheat varieties, thus
allowing earlier planting of following summer crops.
However, the newer wheat varieties, Hunter, Florida
301, Florida 302, Coker 797, and Coker 916 mature
about the same time as barley and have higher and
more consistent yields. Only Florida 301 and Coker
916 have been tested adequately in Alabama to be on
the recommended list of varieties.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author expresses his appreciation to Bruce
Reed, Research Data Analysis, for his assistance.
Special appreciation is expressed to Thurston 
Kelley,
Manager of Operations, and other personnel of the
Computer Center for their assistance and coopera-
tion in printing the graphs.
Lmam se
a o o a Aas sonm sw ~
a a1e 2.4 1.20 .4 
1.4n IowaI %am *-I *a n serr$ asell * O
c e r ral sa Mare es ae 
me .900t *
conrIOun u
Yields are in pounds per ocre
FIGURE . Barley and wheat an yields on nclIpped plots in northern 
Alabama, 1971-88.
tells Ildn 4n Sam I M"K4 an 1.10 Sam law* VOW Sam &
19TOt t oy* IM tiT4 1979 toy$ IM. have 1919 11680 1" too* IM
Yields ore In pouneds er acre01ad okr~ lnae kF
FIGURE 1. Barled deqaty nd wheat rain y e on imlipe los nnothrnAaba C19]L8
EM -m s i
Yields are in pounds per ocre
FIGURE 2. Barley and wheat grain yields on clipped plots in northern Alabama, 1971-83.
29000 1 
rv 772
Arthur Borsoy Ga. 1123 Woleland
1-Clipped -l
Artbiw S 60 G. 1123 wake"on
l -Uclwd-
BARLEY WHEAT
FIGURE 3. Barley and wheat grain yields for 18 years In northern Albma, 
1714N.
FIGURE 4. Barley and wheat grain yields for 4 years in northern Alabama, 1980-83.
1.43 2.16 AM .41
FIGURE . Barley and wheat grain yields io nlpedr plot n cnra lbaa 17
SLW1 / t4
MMINl 101
COKER W LW
1.4" f."D I.In 4" M3"WO 1.01
.On ~-I ~o
FIGURE 6. Barley and wheat grain yields on clipped plots in central Alabama, 1970-81.
FIGURE 7. Barley and wheat grain yields for 12 years, in central
Alabama, 1970-81.
Yields re in pounds per ocre
FIGURE 8. Barley and wheat grain yields on unclipped
plots in southern Alabama, 1970-74.
FIGURE 9. Barley and wheat grain yields on clipped
plots in southern Alabama. 1970-74.
6
Information contained herein is available to all persons regardless
of race, color, sex, or national origin.
7