Interested in research results tailored to your farm’s unique growing conditions? Consider participating in the BarleyBin Field Lab!
The BarleyBin Field Lab gives growers a valuable opportunity to participate in large-scale on farm field research that provides insights into production challenges and agronomic opportunities unique to them.
SaskBarley launched the BarleyBin Field Lab in 2023 in an effort to collaborate with producers, agronomists, researchers and other crop commissions to adapt small plot research for use on the farm.
We work closely with our Field Lab participants to identify challenges and develop protocols that are unique to their disease pressures, soil zones and climate region.
The purpose of the Field Lab is to take the most impactful results from small-plot trials and implement them at field scale – providing more concrete data from a real-world setting. The results will also inform barley production and agronomic strategies for producers across the prairies. Results from field scale trials will be communicated through our many communication channels and at a wrap-up banquet each winter.
Need to know more?
Find out if this program is right for you with these answers to our most frequently asked questions.
Program Goals
SaskBarley’s goals for the BarleyBin Field Lab are:
- To generate farm-scale research results that complement small plot trials
- Build farmer input on research questions facing Saskatchewan barley farmers
- Enhance the quality and reach of on-farm experimentation
- Build capacity of on-farm research
- Encourage best practices for on-farm trials
We will share the results from these field-scale trials through our BarleyBin media platforms (website, magazine, podcast and social media) to share with other farmers, agronomists and researchers.
Protocols for 2024
SaskBarley is seeking interest from farmers to grow on-farm trials in 2024. We are developing full protocols for three research questions. We are also interested in hearing from you what projects are of interest – we will consider those ideas for the future. We are targeting up to six on-farm research projects in 2024, including one project that is already underway. SaskBarley may not support all projects submitted to SaskBarley. The protocols include:
- Seeding rates (malt or feed)
- Optimizing the target plant density balances seed costs, yield and stand management.
- Fertility rates (malt or feed)
- Optimal fertility rates need refining as newer genetics become more widely adopted that are higher yielding, have improved lodging resistance and lower protein.
- Plant growth regulator (malt or feed)
- Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are tools that can be used to manage lodging and straw in high-yielding environments.
Research and Partnerships
SaskBarley will be working closely with Western Applied Research Corporation (WARC) to assist with development of the project, implementation, measurement, harvest and analysis of the data. SaskBarley and WARC will engage as needed with local agrologists to support the projects.
All trials will be randomized and replicated. Generally, the base treatment for each trial will be based on the current practice on the farm operation, with up to two additional treatments to be added, at specific increments.
