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Positive cultivation experience with Zebra winter barley
Nils van Tilbeurgh has his arable farm De Boshoeve on 135 hectares in Oud-Vossemeer in Zeeland. He grows various arable crops here, such as potatoes, sugar beet, summer and winter barley and wheat, canned peas and chicory.
The 135 hectares of De Boshoeve consist of light to heavy clay soil. Winter barley is grown on 17,5 hectares, of which 3,5 hectares are for propagation. Winter barley has been part of the crop plan for about nine years, because the crop can be harvested early and is therefore ideal for spreading the harvest. This is certainly useful on this plot, because drainage will be installed afterwards, so that tulips can be grown next year.
Experiences with the Zebra breed
This year, Tilbeurgh is growing for the first time the breed LG Zebra, the successor to the Rafaela winter barley. The new variety scores better in yield, hectolitre weight and firmness. The LG Zebra also has a unique resistance to the barley (dwarf) yellowing virus. "And this variety is really better," says van Tilbeurgh. "I've had a very good experience with this variety so far this year – it is very healthy and has a high yield. On the slightly drying soils, we also get away with it better than wheat, because it can be harvested earlier." In terms of yield, the Zebra is doing well, the estimated yield of this plot is 10,5-11 tons. "The good yield can of course also be due to the weather. I always say one year is not a year, so the variety has to prove itself in the coming years. But this is promising. Next year I will definitely choose the LG Zebra again."
