Planting date and seeding rate effect on winter malting barley grain yield and quality in northwest Ohio

Abstract With the growth in the craft brewing industry, farmers are interested in producing winter malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.). Timely barley planting is important; however, wet weather often results in delays. The objective of this experiment was to identify the agronomic optimum seeding rate (the seeding rate at which yield is maximized) for a range of barley planting dates and to examine the effects of planting date and seeding rate on grain quality parameters, including test weight, kernel plumpness, protein content, germination, and deoxynivalenol. A study of planting date and seeding rate was conducted over 2 years at one location in northwest Ohio. Treatments included planting dates (approximately every 10 days) between September 3 and November 4, and four seeding rates ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 million seeds ac −1 . Across planting dates, seeding rate had a minimal effect on grain yield. During the first year of the study, an additional 120,000 seeds ac −1 were needed to maximize yield on the latest planting date (November 4) compared with the earliest planting date (September 3). Most grain quality parameters were met across planting date and seeding rate combinations, except for kernel plumpness. In the first year, kernel plumpness was below the industry standard when barley was planted on October 24 and November 4 at 1.5–2.5 million seeds ac −1 , which may result in the grain being rejected. In northwest Ohio, winter malting barley may be seeded at 1.66–1.78 million seeds ac −1 across a range of planting dates and still achieve the required grain quality parameters.