Production of Barley in Narrow Rows.

Production of small cereal grains around the world is almost the same, apart from using modern varieties, fertilizers and machinery. A new trend is to sow these crops into narrow rows. This technique should reduce costs by using less seeds, fertilizers and herbicides. But at the same time it increases the necessity of specialized machinery for applying fertilizers and combat weed through tilling the rows. An experiment was designed to compare the traditional sowing system and using narrow rows for producing barley. Four barley experimental plots were sown: two on traditional beds at 100 and 120 kg/ha of seeds (t100 and t120) and two on narrow rows at 40 and 80 kg/ha of seeds (r40 and r80). Same amount of fertilizers was applied to each plot (120-80-40). At sowing time fertilizers and seeds were mixed and incorporated and cover by soil. Second fertilization was at the end of tillering. For traditional beds, fertilizer was just broadcasted over the plots, and for narrow rows, fertilizer was applied along the rows and was incorporated into the soil by a till. Yields from narrow rows were slightly better: 3.8, 4.1 3.3 and 3.6 for r40, r80, t100 and t120, respectably. Plants on narrow rows produced more productive tillers per plant and more seeds per spike, which were also bigger, than plants on traditional beds. Sowing on narrow rows allowed a better water distribution and conservation through the soil than on traditional beds. These differences improved seed germination, and fertilizer utilization for narrow rows than for traditional beds. Although traditional beds had more plants per square meter, these plants had less productive tillers, grains per spike and seeds were smaller. Sowing on narrow rows allowed to use less seeds and it may be possible to use less chemical fertilizers. Weeds can be controlled using less herbicide because a till can be added to the system. Less seeds, fertilizers and herbicides could reduce production cost and less environment contamination.