Rolling Barley for Silage, Greenfeed… and Grain?
This article is adapted from rolling barley trials at Farming Smarter in Alberta and subsequent research conducted at East Central Research Foundation and Western Applied Research Corporation in Saskatchewan.
Why Roll Barley?
Rolling barley fields is typically limited to barley planted for silage or greenfeed. Similar to pulse crops that are harvested close to the ground, rolling silage or greenfeed barley facilitates close cutting to minimize equipment interactions with rocks and other obstructions.
There is not any evidence to support implementing rolling for barley grain production, but there may be some circumstances where it is logistically necessary, so we can take a look at the research and see the best practices and avoid risking yield losses or spreading disease.
Why Research Rolling barley?
George Lubberts, an independent agronomist, had a rolling revelation—literally. Every time he scouted barley fields, someone was rolling over his weed control efforts. So, he teamed up with Trevor Deering from Farming Smarter to get scientific about the best time to roll barley for silage without throwing other crop management tasks off track.
The Trial Setup:
- Lethbridge County, AB, brown soil zone
- CDC Bow barley was seeded at 300 seeds/m² with a standard air drill.
- A 500 lb/ft water-filled roller was used across seven treatments:
- No rolling (check)
- Rolled day after seeding
- Rolled at 1-leaf
- Rolled at 2-leaf
- Rolled at 3-leaf
- Rolled at 4-leaf
- Rolled at first node
What They Saw:
- Up to the 2-leaf stage, no visual crop damage.
- At 3-leaf, a slight visual difference appeared—possibly due to rolling during high humidity or interactions with herbicide sprayed the next day.
- 4-leaf? Still looking strong.
- But first node? 🚨 Visibly shorter plants, more disease, and definite damage.
Key Takeaway: Don’t Roll at the First Node Stage (Treatment 7)
- Visual effects: Obvious stunting—about 4 to 5 inches shorter.
- Disease presence: Significantly more disease observed in this stage compared to earlier treatments.
- Overall health: Visibly stressed, with poorer canopy development.
- Conclusion: This stage should be avoided!
What Have We Seen in Saskatchewan?
East Central Research Foundation and Western Applied Research Corporation, with support from Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s ADOPT program, tested barley rolling for both silage and grain uses in 2023. They designed their study based on the research at Farming Smarter.
The Saskatchewan results were generally similar to those found by Farming Smarter. They found the ideal timing was 1-3 days after seeding, because no yield losses (grain or silage) occurred in this treatment. Generally, rolling at the 2-3 leaf stage was acceptable, but there were instances of loss, including 15% silage yield loss at Yorkton.
Rolling barley between seeding and the two-leaf stage is safest and most effective, minimizing damage and maintaining crop health. Rolling later, particularly at the first node, causes stunting and increases susceptibility to disease.
Why Roll Barley Anyway?
Mainly to press down rocks for silaging and smooth fields—but timing matters. Rolling too late might flatten more than just your field—it could impact yield and disease resistance too.
The real question for barley grain farmers – Is it worth rolling your barley?
Probably not – there is no evidence of crop benefits, and there are risks of damaging plants, spreading disease, and reducing yield.
Check out the full results here from Farming Smarter: How Rolling Barley for Silage Can Affect Yield and here from the combined Saskatchewan sites: Effect of Land Rolling Timing on Barley Grain and Silage Yield
Or watch the full videos here:
- Timing of Barley Rolling at Farming Smarter
- Effect of the Land Rolling on Barley at East Central Research Foundation and Western Applied Research Corporation
