Slightly off topic, but relating to needing to test a new variety in all conditions.
We grew Sundre barley for the first time in 2009, in a very hot dry year, almost 2002 type of dry around here. It grew incredible in those conditions, only complaint was it lodged very badly. Well over 100 bushels per acre, and 6 bales of straw per acre, with no rain and excess heat. Most other barley locally was just pitiful, a fraction of that literally. Everyone was admiring our barley and needing to know what variety it was, wanting to grow it themselves.
The next year was back to normal, excess rain, cool, constantly wet. Turns out this variety is extremely susceptible to leaf diseases. As in leaves consumed and turning brown before even flag leaf, long before proper fungicide timing. Result was light bushel weight, very poor yield.
Same results by others who grew it.
Tried it a few more times, with multiple fungicide applications, but in an average wet year, it was a disaster.
Just hit it just right by growing it the first time in a drought.
We grew Sundre barley for the first time in 2009, in a very hot dry year, almost 2002 type of dry around here. It grew incredible in those conditions, only complaint was it lodged very badly. Well over 100 bushels per acre, and 6 bales of straw per acre, with no rain and excess heat. Most other barley locally was just pitiful, a fraction of that literally. Everyone was admiring our barley and needing to know what variety it was, wanting to grow it themselves.
The next year was back to normal, excess rain, cool, constantly wet. Turns out this variety is extremely susceptible to leaf diseases. As in leaves consumed and turning brown before even flag leaf, long before proper fungicide timing. Result was light bushel weight, very poor yield.
Same results by others who grew it.
Tried it a few more times, with multiple fungicide applications, but in an average wet year, it was a disaster.
Just hit it just right by growing it the first time in a drought.
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