Characteristics and description of the barley variety Vakula
High yielding barley Vakula occupies a large amount of farmland in Russia and Ukraine. Its popularity is explained by its high productive bushiness compared to other varieties of spring barley. This allows you to significantly save on seed and reduce the overall cost of production, increasing the profit of the agricultural company.
Barley Vakula: variety description
The Vakula variety is called one of the most productive under equal conditions growing compared to other spring crops varieties. Excellent yield indicators are explained by the biological characteristics of barley.
Characteristics and botanical description
Spring barley Vakula belongs to the pallidum variety. The bush is erect, the leaves are not pubescent, intermediate, green. The average height is 70-80 cm.
The spike is 6-rowed, of medium length - 7-9 cm, loose - 10-11 segments per 4 cm of spike shaft. The spike is rectangular-rhombic in shape, unbreakable. The color of a mature ear is straw-yellow. The awns are long - 14-18 cm, slightly diverging, slightly serrated, yellow. Easily removed by threshing.
The glume is thin, without pubescence, narrow, the transition to the awn is gradual. The grain is large, elongated oval, light yellow, smooth. The weight of 1000 grains is 46-52 g, in conditions of abundant moisture supply and irrigation it reaches 60 g.
Distinctive features
The Vakula variety was developed by breeders from Odessa. It belongs to the mid-season varieties with a growing season of 85-88 days. Seeds show excellent germination at temperatures +1…+15°C.
The seedlings tolerate sudden spring frosts and long dry periods well.
Attention! In conditions of prolonged summer heat, spring barley of the Vakula variety produces grain of low quality. Delaying sowing by 7-10 days from the possible early dates of spring planting significantly reduces yields.
Productivity of the variety
Seeds of spring barley Vakula at a low seeding rate of 2 million/ha give a yield of up to 90 kg/ha (the weight seeding rate with a weight of 1000 grains of 40 g is 160-180 kg/ha). Under conditions of intensive farming, the bush easily forms up to 10-12 full-fledged stems.
On a note! To obtain the highest yield of high-quality grain, it is recommended to use original planting material adapted to local climatic conditions.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Vakula variety is one of the highest-yielding varieties in Ukraine with a large number of positive qualities. Over the years of testing, the average yield per 1 hectare was 50 centners, the maximum indicators reached 92-95 centners/ha.
Undeniable advantages of the variety:
- resistance to lodging;
- resistance to smut diseases;
- ecological plasticity;
- wide scope of application.
Among the disadvantages is the need for a high agricultural background and regular fractional application of complex mineral fertilizers.
Growing regions
The wide distribution of the Vakula variety is facilitated by its ecological plasticity. The variety has been regionalized in the Middle Volga, Central Black Earth, North Caucasus regions, throughout Ukraine.
All growing areas have different characteristics in terms of fertility, total precipitation and average annual temperature.
Features of cultivation
Cultivation of spring barley are practiced in most regions of Russia. This valuable grain crop is used to produce croup, compound feed, beer. Under conditions of strict adherence to cultivation technology, high yields are obtained.
Recommendations for cultivating the Vakula variety
The main task of pre-sowing soil cultivation for spring barley is to loosen the surface layer of soil and create a compacted bed for seeds to the planting depth. Preparations begin as early as possible so that spring moisture in the soil is well preserved.
The recommended sowing method is a row unit of 2-3 seeders pulled by a caterpillar tractor. Wheeled tractors intensively compact the soil during early spring sowing on wet soil, which is unacceptable when growing grain crops. Seeds are planted to a depth of 4-5 cm in moist soil and 7-8 cm in dry soil.
Important! The most important condition when growing spring barley is compliance with crop rotation. Barley is sown after potatoes, beets, and corn. It is strictly prohibited to sow barley after other grains.
The first measures to care for crops are carried out immediately on the day of planting. The field is carefully rolled with ring-spur rollers. When an economically dangerous number of weeds appears, herbicide treatment is carried out. The recommended amine salt for use is 2,4-D, Lontrel, Dialen.
Spring barley needs nutrients, especially phosphorus and calcium. Good results are obtained by pre-sowing application of fertilizers at the rate of:
- 20-30 kg/ha phosphorus;
- 30-45 kg/ha nitrogen.
Organic fertilizers are applied to barley crops extremely rarely. After applying manure, the fields are carefully plowed. The optimal dose is 20-25 t/ha in the fall for autumn plowing (autumn digging of soil).
Harvesting spring barley occurs at a grain moisture content of about 16% to avoid unnecessary damage and loss due to drooping ears. The harvest of spring barley is carried out quickly, by direct combining, since the ears that have dried out in the windrows become fragile and lose a significant part of the grain during threshing.
Attention! A delay in harvesting of 4-5 days leads to ear breakage and complete loss of the crop during mechanized harvesting.
Pests, diseases, climatic factors
Varietal barley Vakula is resistant to diseases such as powdery mildew, striped helminthosporiosis, and dwarf rust. Resistant to lodging.
When signs of powdery mildew, rust, or root rot appear on spring barley plants, the crops are treated with fungicides: “Amistar Extra”, “Impact”, “Derozal”.
On a note! Like any spring barley variety, Vakula does not tolerate intense dry periods at the time of mass seed germination.
Farmer reviews
Most farmers speak positively about the Vakula barley variety, but note some features.
Mikhail, Nizhny Novgorod: «I have been growing Vakula barley since 2015, I am very pleased with the performance. I personally recommend carrying out high-quality pre-sowing treatment of the field; shallow plowing will not work. The highest yield—85 c/ha—was obtained in a year with heavy snowfalls and spring rains.”
Sergey Petrovich, Zlatoust: “I plant Vakula barley in small quantities for my own brewery. The variety is excellent, the grain is selected, uniform, complete, protein content is up to 12%. It grows well, germinates quickly, and I have never noticed an infection or excessive lodging of the ear in the field. I recommend it for brewers."
Ivan Yurievich, Abinsk: “Vakula is growing with varying degrees of success. In dry years, it produces a harvest of questionable quality if sowing is delayed by only 5-7 days. Needs moisture in spring. One of the advantages is that it is never affected by common grain diseases.”
Conclusion
Vakula barley is resistant to diseases and shows high yield when grown in different climatic conditions. To obtain a good harvest, it is important to strictly follow the technology of growing spring crops. High-quality grain is obtained in large quantities at appropriate costs and painstaking work.