In 2025, SaskBarley expanded the BarleyBin Field Lab’s three protocols to thirteen sites across the province – up from one protocol with two sites in its inaugural year, 2023. These are the results of those on-farm research trials.
Protocol 1: Seeding Rates
Protocol 2: Nitrogen Fertility Rates
Protocol 3: Plant Growth Regulators
Protocol 1: Barley Seeding Rate Trial
The recommended seeding rate for malt barley is 300 live seeds/m2, which corresponds to a plant density in the range of approximately 20-22 plants/ft2. Researchers found that 300 live seeds/m2 optimized agronomics including yield and lodging, as well as malt characteristics including protein and plump kernels.
This protocol was first implemented in 2023 and the results for 2025 combine three years of data.
Objective
To optimize barley seeding rates based on target plant density to balance seed costs, yield, crop competitiveness and stand management.
2023-2025 Combined Results
Over 3 years and 10 sites, plant densities ranging from 11 to 43 plants/ft2 produced similar yields.
Overall, changing seeding rates had little impact on barley yield or grain quality. While higher seeding rates increased plant density, they also tended to reduce seedling survival, and the extra plants did not translate into higher yields. In most cases, low, standard, and high seeding rates all produced similar yields and quality. When economics were considered, lower seeding rates often performed best because they reduced seed costs without sacrificing yield, although slightly higher rates may still offer agronomic benefits in certain conditions such as weed competition or uneven emergence. Overall, the data suggests that barley yields were stable across a wide range of plant densities, meaning producers may have more flexibility to reduce seeding rates without risking yield loss.
View the results for 2025 in the full report.
Protocol 2: Nitrogen Fertility Rates in Barley
Increasing applied fertilizer rates can increase barley yield and quality. Prairie soils are often deficient in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Some soils are also deficient in potassium (K), sulphur (S), and possibly one or more micronutrients. However, depending on the growing environment, genetics, and other management practices within the production system, increasing fertilizer rates may result in differing economic returns for each farm. Higher nitrogen fertilizer rates may also lead to increased crop lodging or decreased malting quality.
Objective
To quantify the agronomic and economic impact of increasing fertility rates on your farm under typical management.
2024-2025 Combined Results
Across 2 years and 5 trial sites, the fertility trial data indicated that increasing fertilizer rates generally did not lead to significant yield or quality improvements under most conditions tested.
Many sites showed similar yields whether fertilizer was applied at reduced, recommended, or enhanced rates. In some cases, higher fertilizer rates slightly improved yield or test weight, but the gains were inconsistent and often not large enough to offset the higher fertilizer cost. One site did show a yield response to increased nitrogen, highlighting that fertility responses are highly dependent on field conditions such as residual soil nutrients and moisture. Overall, the results suggest that applying fertilizer close to soil-test recommendations remains the most reliable and economical strategy, while higher rates should only be considered where strong yield potential or nutrient deficiencies justify the extra investment.
View the results for 2025 in the full report.
Protocol 3: Using Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) in Barley Trial
The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in high-yielding and high-moisture areas can provide benefits by reducing lodging risk in cereals. Barley varieties have been shown to vary in their response to treatment with PGR trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus), and the response can also vary with growing conditions. PGR application can also impact barley yield and quality.
Objective
To quantify the agronomic and economic impact of PGR (Moddus) application on barley compared to an untreated check across various management, soil, and weather conditions.
2024-2025 Combined Results
Plant growth regulators showed mixed results across 5 trial sites over 2 years.
In several cases, applying a PGR reduced lodging and increased yield, particularly in fields where lodging pressure was high. At other sites, however, PGR applications had little effect on yield or grain quality and sometimes slightly reduced test weight. When data from multiple sites were combined, PGR treatments generally reduced lodging and produced modest yield increases, though the response varied widely depending on growing conditions. These results suggest that PGRs can be a useful management tool in high-yield environments or fields prone to lodging, but they may not provide consistent benefits in all situations and should be considered carefully against their added cost.
View the results for 2025 in the full report.
Want more field-scale research results?
Find more results from the Saskatchewan On-Farm Field Research program at our participating partners:
View the full report.
Thank you to Kayla Slind, Project Lead and WARC for their roll in the organization, management and data analysis for the 2025 trials.
Learn more: On-Farm Research – Western Applied Research Corporation