Barley has been produced since historical times in different parts of the world. Barley has been used since ancient times as food for humans and animal feed. In our country, Barley is used for making bread. Apart from this, it is mixed with a gram in the form of Bejhar or mixed with wheat.
Sometimes Barley is roasted or ground and used in the form of Sattu. Apart from this, Barley is used for malt, and it is also used for making liquor etc. Moreover, in our country, Barley is used extensively for fodder, animal grain, and good grain in poultry farming.
Area And Distribution Of Barley
Barley is a tropical plant, but it is successfully cultivated in temperate and temperate climates. As a result, Barley is produced in most parts of the world. The countries that grow Barley wide are China, Russia, Germany, United States of America, Japan, India, Canada, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Morocco, France, Denmark, Great Britain, Hungary, Argentina and Australia. China is the largest producer of Barley.
India ranks sixth among the countries that grow Barley, where about 3.5% of the world's total production is produced. The total area of Barley in India was 7.34 lakh hectares, the total yield was 14.12 lakh tonnes, and the average yield was 1923 kg per hectare, according to 2000-2001.
Barley is cultivated in most of the states of India, but Uttar Pradesh is the largest producing state. After this, the production of Barley becomes good in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar etc. The state of Uttar Pradesh produces 42% of India's total production.
Barley is cultivated in almost all the districts of Uttar Pradesh. Barley is grown in maximum quantity in the Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. After this, Allahabad, Jaunpur and Gorakhpur districts also have a good place in the cultivation of Barley.
Suitable Climate For The Cultivation Of Barley
Barley is a temperate climate crop, but it can also be cultivated successfully in temperate climates. Barley can be produced easily from sea level to an altitude of 4000 metres.
A cool and moist climate is best for the cultivation of Barley. Barley can be easily cultivated in all those places where cool weather is favourable for plant growth for up to 4 months. The minimum temperature for the cultivation of Barley is 35-40°F, the highest temperature is 72-86°F, and the suitable temperature is 70°F. Areas where the average annual rainfall is 70 to 100 cm. Barley is easily cultivated in all those places. Barley can be cultivated easily in areas with less rain, and in areas with more rainfall, Barley cannot be produced.
Land Suitable For Cultivation Of Barley
Soil with a good drainage system is best suited for the cultivation of Barley. On the other hand, heavy lands which do not have drainage facilities are not suitable for the cultivation of Barley. Therefore, Barley is mainly cultivated in sandy lands.
High lands are also suitable for the cultivation of Barley. Barley can be easily cultivated even in a wasteland. Barley crop is grown in dry, alkaline and frosty conditions in the sunny season.
How To Prepare The Land For The Cultivation Of Barley
The cultivation of Barley requires less tillage for the preparation of the field than wheat. To prepare the field, one ploughing is done with soil turning plough, and 2-3 ploughings are done with a native plough or harrow. Putting a pad in the field is crucial to break the lumps and protect the moisture. In heavy soils, in some areas, Bakkhar is also used before July.
Seed Quantity
The quantity of seed depends on the sowing method. 75 kg per hectare if sowing in the trough behind the plough or by seed drill, 100 kg seed per hectare for sowing by spray method is sufficient.
Methods Of Sowing The Barley Crop
Like wheat, there are the following methods of sowing barley –
(A) Sowing By Spray Method
After sowing by this method, seeds are sprinkled in the prepared field. Later, the seeds are ploughed to cover them with soil. This is not the best method of sowing. However, this method is adopted the most in our country. Sowing by this method requires more seed quantity.
Along with this, some seeds move up and down, so proper germination is impossible. Therefore, 100 kg per hectare of seed is required for sowing by spraying.
(B) Sowing By Seed Drill
This is the best method of sowing. In this method, sowing is done by using a seed drill driven by a tractor or bullocks. In this, the distance of rows and the distance from the plant to plant in the row always remain the same and sowing is also done very quickly. The seed rate can be increased or decreased as per the requirement.
Irrigation And Drainage Required In Barley Crop
To get a good yield from the barley crop, 2-3 irrigations are required. First irrigation is given 30 days after sowing, second irrigation is done 60-65 days after planting, and third irrigation is done at the time of milking in ears, i.e. after 80-85 days.
If your farm does not have an adequate water facility, then 3 irrigations are more, and if your farm has a water facility, then one more irrigation can be done. The third and first irrigation is more important in the crop. Applying 5-6 cm of water to the crop in each irrigation is necessary.
1-2 additional irrigations in the crop help in reducing the protein content of the grain, which makes malt better. If only 2 irrigation water is available in your field, then first irrigation should be given one month after sowing at the time of buds and second irrigation at 80-85 days after sowing.
Harvesting Process
Barley crop matures sooner than the wheat crop. The crop sown in early November gets ripe in the last week of March. Harvesting should be done immediately after the crop is grown. Otherwise, the grains start falling in the field. Moreover, farmers harvest the crop with a sickle or a combine harvester on a large farm, because the John Deere Harvester price is reasonable.
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