Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a widely grown and highly adaptable winter cereal crop used mainly for the production of malt for the brewing industry and for stock feed. Barley is WA’s second most important crop after wheat delivering the State around $1 billion in export grain and malt earnings in recent years.

Barley is an annual plant that is very versatile in its planting time, being slightly more frost tolerant than wheat prior to ear emergence and at flowering, and can be planted earlier in the season. Barley is often a better option than wheat for late planting, especially if feed-grain prices are good.