When is the best time to harvest barley and wheat?

Mustafa Erayman, Dean of Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, stated that the harvesting of cool climate cereals such as wheat, barley and oats for forage is quite common on the island, but he reminded that the harvesting period is of great importance in terms of yield and quality.

Pointing out that there are three different periods to be considered when harvesting barley, wheat and similar grains for forage or hay, Erayman said that these are pregnancy, milk production and dough formation periods.

Erayman stated that although the spikes have not yet come out of the leaf sheath during the gestation period, the flag leaves are fully developed and said, "It is the period when the protein content and quality in the grass is the highest, but the yield is low because the plant has not reached full maturity."

Talking about the second period which is the milk production period, Erayman said that when the grain is crushed between the fingers, a liquid with a fluidity similar to white milk emerges, and this period is called the milk formation period.

Erayman, noting that the content of the grain hardens a little during the dough formation period and becomes doughy, said that "Although the yield increases in the transition from the gestation period to the dough formation period, the quality decreases".

Erayman pointed out that it would be more appropriate to harvest in the milk production period if a little more productive forage is desired to be obtained compared to the gestation period. “If you need to make silage, the best time to harvest the dry matter is at the end of the milk maturity stage which will be around 30-35%. This is especially preferred in tropical climates.”

Erayman reminded that the transition period of grains such as wheat and barley from the gestation period to the dough formation period can be very fast due to climatic effects, and pointed out the importance of following the process carefully.

Erayman emphasized that the gestation period should be preferred for harvesting when high quality grass is desired in cool climate cereals, and the late pulping period should be preferred for high crop yields. “Harvesting according to a certain date in cool climate cereals, which are generally grown without irrigation in our region, may cause significant losses in grass yield and quality in cases of climate anomalies. For this reason, harvesting periods should carefully be kept track of.”