Barley

To operate successfully, cereal farmers need consistent quality and high yields, but weeds, pests and disease can threaten that success. A growing problem for cereal farmers is the development of resistance to commonly-used herbicides and fungicides. Fortunately, our innovative products help farmers to control these problems effectively.

For example, used on its own or in a mixture with glyphosate, our advanced herbicide product Kixor® is applied prior to crop planting for fast and complete burndown of over 80 different weeds, including those resistant to glyphosate. BASF has traditionally led the way in the search for new active ingredients to combat fungal diseases in cultivated plants. Our next-generation fungicide Xemium® not only controls a broad range of fungi in cereals but also boasts a unique mobility in the whole plant, providing immediate and long-lasting protection.

To meet higher standards of environmental protection and the need to feed a growing population, BASF is constantly working on new solutions going beyond traditional crop protection. Our AgCelence® products provide various benefits for cereals, including higher yields, improved marketable quality, increased production efficiency and increased stress tolerance. Through our new Functional Crop Care business, we offer new ways for cereal farmers to improve yields while managing resources, by developing novel solutions for nutrient uptake and water distribution. New tools, initiatives and programs like AgBalance™ help our customers to measure and assess sustainability in agriculture.

Disease control in Barley

Yield in barley is built from the whole plant so it is vital to protect all the leaves, the stem, spikelets (awns) and ear from disease. As barley is usually limited by grain number and tiller number, it is vital to control disease from early in the season to maintain a disease free crop from tillering onwards.

The main foliar diseases which should be guarded against are:

• Net blotch
• Rhynchosporium
• Ramularia

and to a lesser extent mildew. Brown rust should also be considered in the spray strategy, particularly later in the season.