NGN Comparing barley yield gap and pre-harvest losses under water limiting and non-water limiting conditions.

This investment will deliver a series of field trials and extension activities to reduce the yield gap between attainable yield and water limited yield potential in barley in the low – medium rainfall zones alongside virtual trial treatments derived by crop models to determine new attainable yield benchmarks for barley growers.

Between 2022 and 2023 we experienced two very different seasons although both provided similar outcomes. 2022 was high rainfall, so much so that it created water logging during September and October which limited yield. In contrast, 2023 had a very dry September period which also served to limit yield potential. These environmental conditions have acted as ‘equalisers’ for yield potential and have meant that there was little scope to improve grain yield through in-season management. Sowing on time (3 May) was the best strategy to maximise grain yield, followed by variety choice in 2023. In both years high nitrogen inputs and increased fungicide intensity did not increase grain yield.