Harvest Management a Key to Harvest Malt
REGINA - May 13/02 - SNS -- Many factors go into harvesting malting instead of feed barley, say Allan and Karen MacDougall of Francis, Saskatchewan.
Some good luck with the weather and proper attention to harvest management techniques improve that possibility say the winners of this year's Barley Development Council's 2001 Malting Barley Quality Competition. They won in the six-row barley category.
While he always tries for malt, he doesn't always achieve it: in 2000, it wasn't accepted because no market could be found, and, in 1989, the weather conditions produced a grain that was too light. Three years ago, however, he was a district winner in the malting barley competition and, although last year's yield was a little below average, the quality was good enough to win the provincial award.
One of the reasons for this quality, he says, is his crop rotation. He always selects a crop that won't produce volunteer plants in the year the barley is sown, using canola and summerfallow in rotation: "The canola is easier to clean out and can be controlled with chemicals."
He also pays attention to seeding practices, being careful not to seed too deeply, and is particular about the level of nitrogen in the soil because high nitrogen can cause unacceptably high protein levels that affect the malting process. He recommends soil testing for an accurate estimation of soil nutrient supply.
MacDougall says harvest practices are critical in the production of malt barley.
"You really have to pay attention. You can't crack or peel the kernel because it won't germinate and, if there is no germination, it doesn't go for malt. So you have to fine-tune the settings as conditions change throughout the day. For example, I open the concave and the sieve as much as possible and leave as much awn on the kernel as possible. I also try to swath when no green is left so I get as many ripe kernels as possible. If necessary, I will swath around the green patches, and come back later."
Post-harvest care is equally important, he says. Much of this care depends on weather conditions during harvest but, no matter what the conditions, he constantly checks bins for heating and insects.
Larry and Katherine Ashworth of Spring Valley were the Saskatchewan winners in the 2001 malting barley competition's two-row category. Mixed farmers with 1,700 acres of cultivated land, they started growing two-row barley in 2000, the same year they became district winners in the competition. They decided to grow barley because they had a wheat midge problem, and they decided on two-row because it's easier to sell, says Larry.
Like the MacDougalls, the Ashworths stress the importance of clean seed and land for a quality product. Their rotation includes summerfallow and pulses such as pea and lentil. The soil nitrogen is also important, says Larry, who adds about 25 per cent less than he does to his wheat, depending on the year.
He agrees that harvest timing and procedures are critical. He tries to ensure an early harvest by never seeding in June. "And when the crop is ripe, you move," he says. He straight combines when the seed moisture is 15 to 16 per cent, as this level reduces the chance of seed peeling (aeration is needed to reduce the moisture to an acceptable 13.5 per cent or less.) If the weather is too hot and dry, he waits until evening to combine.
"Uniformly ripe kernels are necessary so I combine around green areas in the field and come back to get the rest in a week. I always keep an eye on the hopper, checking for green kernels, and I adjust the combine settings every hour to lessen the risk of damaging the kernels. Even augering can do damage. When it's in the bin, I watch it closely. I have temperature sensors and, if necessary, I aerate. You need good storage facilities."
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