Growth and Forage yield of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in Response to cutting systems and time of nitrogen application

The lack of appropriate forage conservation techniques in Sudan, necessitates all year round production of forages. This is particularly important in the irrigated areas to produce forages for the dairy cattle around the big cities. Forages in the northern states of Sudan (i.e. River Nile and Northern States) are mainly produced during the summer by growing Abu Sabeen, Maize and Lubia. ecently however, studies have shown that barley could be a successful forage crop during the winter in the central and northern states. Winter in the northern states of Sudan is relatively cooler and longer that bi - cuttings of barley might increase forage yield and prolong the production period. In this context, an experiment was conducted at Hudeiba Research Station during the winter seasons of 2004/05 and 2005/06. The objective was to study dry matter yield of barley as affected by the cutting systems and time of nitrogen application. The treatments comprised 4 nitrogen application times i.e. at sowing, 15, 30, and 45 days after sowing (DAS). The cutting systems comprised 4 regimes i.e. a single cutting of the primary growth (PG) at the milk stage (MS), and 3 bi - cutting (bi-cuts) systems. Bi ¬cutl, involved eutting the pc:;at the age of 30 DAS and the regrowth at the MS. Bi - cut2 involved cutting the PG at the age of 45 DAS and the regrowth at the MS. Bi - eut3 involved cutting the PG at the age of 60 DAS and the regrowth at the MS. The results showed that forage yield and yield attributes were not significantly affected by the time of nitrogen pplication. Regarding the cutting systems, the single cut surpassed the three bi - cuts in forage yield. The bi - cuttings on the other hand, prolonged the growing period, reduced plant population, increased tillering, and reduced total culm density. The duration of the regrowth periods of the bi - cuttings followed a reverse pattern to the duration of thei r growing, periods i n the PG. Among, the hi - cuttings, hi _ cut! resulted in the highest yield. The association of the higher dry matter yield of the 2'" cut with longer regrowth period in hi - cut I may he an indication to the importance of the duration of the regrowth period 10 determining the yield of the regrowth