Soil Preparation, Herbicides, and Seeding Dates for Barley Production

Soil preparation methods in combination with herbicides for broadleaf weed control were evaluated for barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ’Champlain’) production on a Kamouraska clay and on a St. André gravelly loam near La Pocatière over 2 yr. No-till was applied only in the first year because this method produced low yields when compared to conventional soil preparation (fall-plow, spring-harrow). Fall-prepared soils produced yields equivalent to conventional methods when seeded early but yields decreased as seeding was delayed. Spring harrowing of fall-prepared soils was necessary to sustain yields as seeding was delayed. This was because weeds increased with delayed seeding on no-till and fall-prepared soils. Tillage methods produced greater differences in weed numbers than did herbicides. Yield and kernel size and density decreased with delayed seeding. No-till soils were wetter and colder at the surface than were tilled soils. Fall-prepared soils tended to be wetter with depth than no-till or spring-tilled soils.