Barley
| Barley | ||||||||||||
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Barley field | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||
| Hordeum
arizonicum Hordeum brachyantherum Hordeum bulbosum Hordeum californica Hordeum depressum Hordeum intercedens Hordeum jubatum Hordeum marinum Hordeum murinum Hordeum pusillum Hordeum secalinum Hordeum spontaneum Hordeum vulgare |
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| References | ||||||||||||
| ITIS 40865 2002-09-22 |
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family.
Barley is the fifth largest cultivated cereal crop in the world (53 million hectares or 132 million acres). Major barley producers are :
| Russia | 7.2 million hectares |
| Ukraine | 3.7 million hectares |
| Turkey | 3.6 million hectares |
| Canada | 4.5 million hectares |
| Australia | 3.0 million hectares |
| Spain | 3.3 million hectares |
| Morocco | 2.3 million hectares |
| Iran | 1.0 million hectares |
| Iraq | 1.2 million hectares |
| USA | 2.1 million hectares |
Cultivated barley is related to the wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) which still can be found in the Middle East. Evidence suggests that domestication of barley started 6000 years BC in the Middle East.
Barley is widely adaptable and is currently a major crop of the temperate and tropical areas.
Barley is a staple food for humans and animals. Malting barley is a key ingredient in beer and whiskey production.