Cereal grains are grasses and may have a prostrate, semierect, or erect physical stature. All have fibrous root systems.
Barley, oats, triticale, and wheat are each comprised of hundreds of varieties whose growth characteristics vary considerably.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Dick, Richard

Karow, Russell S.

Kaufman, Diane

Luna, John

McGrath, Daniel M. (Daniel Morton)

Oregon State University. Extension Service

Peachey, Ronald Edward

Sattell, Robert

Undetermined

ScholarsArchive@OSU

EM 8692January 199850¢  BARLEY, OATS, TRITICALE, WHEAT(Hordeum vulgare, Avena sativa, Triticosecale X, Triticum aestivum)  R. Sattell, R. Dick, R. Karow, D. Kaufman, J. Luna, D. McGrath, and E. PeachyeCereal grains are grasses and mayhave a prostrate, semierect, or erectphysical stature. All have fibrous rootsystems.Barley, oats, triticale, and wheatare each comprised of hundreds ofvarieties whose growth characteristicsvary considerably. Since there isconsiderable overlap in growthcharacteristics among these grains,they are discussed together here.New varieties constantly are beingdeveloped to meet the needs of grainproducers. Usually, the seed availablefor cover cropping is limited to seedmarketed for grain production andchanges from year to year. Althoughthese varieties have not been pro-duced specifically for cover croppingpurposes, they are adapted toOregon’s climate and soils.Specialty varieties that are welladapted to cover cropping may bedifficult to purchase if they are notpopular varieties in your local area.Plan ahead and secure specialty seedsources early.UsesCereal grains generally are used asfall-planted cover crops. They protectthe soil surface, smother weeds,improve soil tilth, and scavengenitrogen from the soil before it isleached below the root zone bywinter rains.Cereal grain cover crops also havebeen successfully relay-interplantedinto short-statured summer crops(e.g., broccoli, cauliflower). That is,they are planted into a standingsummer crop, usually at the time ofthe final cultivation. Cereal grains donot seem to be appropriate for relayplanting into tall-statured summercrops such as sweet corn, becausethey do not tolerate shade and heavyharvest residue.Winter-killed or herbicide-killedcereal grain cover crops produceprotective surface mulches, whichmay be followed by no-till orreduced-tillage planting of thefollowing crop.Cereal grains often are planted inmixtures with legumes. When theyare, they act as nurse crops in the falland provide structural support toviny legumes in the spring.When planted between berryrows, cereal grains suppress weeds,increase infiltration, and improvevehicular access.Dry matter and N accumulationThe potential dry matter and Naccumulation of a cereal grain covercrop depends on the variety planted.However, provided that the cerealgrain is adapted to the area andsurvives the winter, the dry matterand N accumulation probablydepend more on planting and killdates than on thevariety used.Excessive drymatter productioncan slow soilwarming anddrying in spring,clog planters, andreduce N avail-ability to follow-ing crops.Experiments inthe WillametteValley suggestthat a yield ofQuick facts: BHardiness zonepH toleranceBest soil typeFlood toleranceDrought toleranceShade toleranceMowing toleranceDry matter accumulaN accumulationN to following cropUsesapproximately 2–3 tons dry matter/acre provides the benefits of covercropping without the problemscaused by excessive dry matter.Yields as low as 1–1.5 tons/acre aredesirable if direct seeding intoherbicide-killed grain without tillagein spring.Although cereal grains are capablof accumulating large amounts of Nin their tissues, in general very littleor none of the accumulated N isavailable to subsequent crops due tothe relatively high carbon:nitrogenratio of residues. The ratio of youngand succulent cereal grains is inter-mediate but increases greatly inmature plants that contain highpercentages of cellulose and lignin.ManagementPlant winter cereal grain covercrops from September 15 to October15 to increase winter hardiness andmaximize winter soil protection.Note, however, that they may beplanted any time of year in westernOregon and are a good choice as alate-sown cover crop.arley, oats, triticale, wheatVaries (see Figure 1)VariesVariesVariesVariesVariesHigh until maturitytion Kill at 2–3 tons/acre in vegetable rotations60 lb/acre at 3 tons/acreVery little or noneUse as winter cover crop to protect soil,smother weeds, scavenge N, and improvetilth. Often planted with legumes.Cautions May provide overwintering habitat for cerealdiseases that attack nearby cereal fields thefollowing spring.Funding for this project was provided by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 andJune 30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S.Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties. Oregon State University Extension Service offerseducational programs, activities, and materials—without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, and disabled veteran or Vietnam-eraveteran status—as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the EducationAmendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State UniversityExtension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Robert Sattell, faculty research assistant in crop and soil science; Richard Dick, professor of soilscience; Russ Karow, Extension cereals specialist; Diane Kaufman, Extension agent, NorthWillamette Research and Extension Center; John Luna, professor of horticulture; Dan McGrath,Extension agent, Willamette Valley; and Ed Peachey, research assistant in horticulture; OregonState University.© 1998 Oregon State University. This publication may be photocopied orreprinted in its entirety for noncommercial purposes.Spring cereal susceptibility towinter-kill varies considerably, evenamong varieties of a particularspecies, and usually depends largelyon planting date. Early planting datesincrease the likelihood of winter-kill.Many spring cereals survive thewinter in western Oregon whenplanted after September 21.Best results are obtained whencereal grains are drilled into a firm,well-prepared seedbed. Alternativeseeding methods that can reduceseedbed preparation but requirehigher seeding rates are: drill into arough seedbed prepared by disking,or broadcast over a rough or smoothseedbed and then disk lightly tocover the seed.Suggested seeding rates vary withseed size, germination rate, andplanting method. Generally a rate of70–90 lb/acre is adequate, but winterweed suppression can be improvedconsiderably by increasing thoserates by 50 percent. A seeding rate of45 seeds/ft2 is good for weed sup-pression—seeding rates can becalculated after measuring theaverage seed weight. Reduce seedingrates when planting in mixtures withlegumes.Immediately after the summer cropharvest, there may be sufficientmoisture near the soil surface forcereal grains to germinate withoutirrigation. If the soil is dry, irrigatingspeeds germination and fall growth.Where irrigation is not available,plant before a fall rain.Relay-interplanted cereal grainsare broadcast into a standing summerFigure 1.—Oregon plant hardiness zonemap. Hardiness of barley, oats, triticale,and wheat varies. (Extracted from theUSDA’s national plant hardiness zonemap, based on average annual minimumtemperature in °F.)Zone 4 = -30 to -20; Zone 5 = -20 to -10Zone 6 = -10 to 0; Zone 7 = 0 to 10Zone 8 = 10 to 20; Zone 9 = 20 to 30crop, usually before the finalcultivation, which incorporates theseed into the soil. Grains may go toseed before winter if relay-inter-planted too early. Increasing irriga-tion frequency during cover cropestablishment can improve the stand.Kill and/or incorporate cerealgrains in spring when total above-ground dry matter is about 2–3 tons/acre, and plants still are relativelysucculent. Generally, incorporationshould occur a minimum of 3 weeksbefore planting to allow sufficienttime for residues to decompose.Moldboard plows are moreeffective at killing cereal grains thandisks, but they also place the residuein a layer well below the soil surface.Disking or chisel plowing keepsresidues closer to the surface, but thecover crop may need to be herbicide-killed first to prevent grow-back.Consult your county agent of theOSU Extension Service for herbiciderecommendations. Always applyherbicides in accordance with labelinstructions and restrictions.Mowing usually doesn’t kill imma-ture cereal grains. Although mowingmay kill cereal grains that areapproaching physical maturity, theyrarely are allowed to grow that long.Pest InteractionsWhen used for weed suppressionbetween rows of berries, mow fall-planted cereal grains before seedmatures. Residues and stubblecontinue to suppress weeds through-out harvest.Cereal grain cover crops mayprovide habitat for overwinteringdiseases (e.g., stripe rust) that mayattack nearby grain fields the follow-ing spring.Varieties/cultivarsLate-maturing and short-staturedvarieties may decrease the likelihoodof excess dry matter production andoffer more flexibility in the timing ofspring residue management opera-tions.The physical stature of cerealgrains varies from fully erect tonearly prostrate. Erect or semierectvarieties work best as nurse orcompanion crops when planted inmixtures with legumes. Prostratevarieties quickly cover the soilsurface, maximizing soil protection.For more informationWorld Wide WebOrchard floor management informa-tion—http://www.orst.edu/dept/hort/weeds/floormgt.htmOSU Extension Service publications—eesc.orst.eduThe University of California, Daviscover crop information—http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/sarep/ccrop/OSU Extension cereals Web page—http://www.css.orst.edu/crops/cereals/home.htmOregon Cover Crop HandbookThis publication also is part of UsingCover Crops in Oregon, EM 8704, whichcontains an overview of cover crop usageand descriptions of 13 individual covercrops. To order copies of EM 8704, sendyour request and $5.50 per copy to:Publication OrdersExtension & Station CommunicationsOregon State University422 Kerr AdministrationCorvallis, OR 97331-2119Fax: 541-737-0817

Barley, oats, triticale, wheat (Hordeum vulgare, Avena sativa, Triticosecale X, Triticum aestivum)

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Barley, oats, triticale, wheat (Hordeum vulgare, Avena sativa, Triticosecale X, Triticum aestivum)

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