Effect of planting dates and cutting treatments on production of dual purpose barley in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia

The traditional system of wheat and barley cultivation in Saudi Arabia was based on the utilization of vegetative growth at 50 - 60 days as forage for live stock then allow the crop to produce grains. This system was suitable for local cultivars to delay flowering to frost free periods and reduce their ability to lodging. However, the introduction and use of improved short cultivars has reduced the value of this system in recent wheat and barley production practices. This study was designed to evaluate the use of barley as a dual-purpose crop. The objectives were to determine the suitable planting date, vegetative stage for forage utilization and the appropriate cultivars for this purpose. Six different cultivars, including the commercial cultivar, Justo and a local cultivar from the Asir Region, were planted in three dates 1st Nov., 25th Nov. and 20th Dec. and three cutting treatments at the age of 50 and 65 days and no cut treatment as a control. The experiment was laid out as in split-split plot design with four replications for two successive seasons 95/96 , 96/97. Results of the two seasons data have shown that the planting date at 1st Nov. was significantly higher than the other planting dates in forage, grain yield and straw production. Cutting for forage at age of 65 days was superior (5.17 tons/h) to cutting at the age of 50 days. (2.1 tons/ h). Utilization of vegetative growth for forage at the age of 65 days has resulted in a reduced grain yield ranging from 12 and 59 % in the first and the third planting dates respectively. Whereas the reduction in straw yield was greater ranging from 35 to 58% in the first and the third planting dates respectively. Significant variations among cultivars were observed in dry forage and grain yields. The cultivar Justo was the best in grain yield, while the local cultivar was the best in forage yield. The cultivars, Giza 121 and Giza 123 , had very good forage and grain yields while the cultivar, Sahrawi produced a good forage yield with excellent recovery after harvest which indicated that these three cultivars could be used as dual purpose cultivars under the conditions of the Central Region of Saudi Arabia