Evaluation of the performance of two barley varieties at different sowing dates

This study, carried out in the 2023–2024 season at Rashedia Research Station, evaluated two barley cultivars (Mosul 1 and Noor) and three planting dates (15/November, 15/December, 15/January) using a factorial RCBD design. Results showed that the Noor cultivar significantly outperformed Mosul 1 in plant height (53.5 vs. 45.2 cm), spikes.m-² (719.6 vs. 412.5), grain yield (552.7 vs. 305.2 g.m²), and biological yield (1785.3 vs. 1279.8 g.m-²). The first planting date (15/November) yielded the best results across all traits compared to later dates, including higher spikes.m-² (651.0), grain yield (572.3 g.m-²), and biological yield (2044.1 g.m-²). Notably, interaction of Noor with the first date achieved the highest grain yield (736.6 g.m²) and biological yield (2306.7 g.m-²), while Noor with the second date produced the tallest plants (59.6 cm) and most spikes.m-² (872). These findings recommend Noor cultivar planted in mid-November for optimal productivity.