Hoosfield Barley
- Experiment Code: R/HB/2
- Experiment Site: Rothamsted
- Objectives: To test the effects of different inorganic fertilizers (supplying the elements N, P, K Mg and sodium silicate) and farmyard manure (FYM) on the yield of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare)
- Date Start: 1852
- Date End: Ongoing
- Key Contacts: Andrew Gregory, (Principal Investigator), 0000-0001-7123-0784 , Margaret Glendining, (Data Manager), 0000-0002-6466-4629 , Sarah Perryman, (Data Manager),
Description
- Started in 1852, spring barley has been grown continuously on the site since then. The experiment offers interesting contrasts to Broadbalk; because it is spring sown it has only been necessary to fallow it four times to control weeds and it tests not only nitrogen, minerals and FYM but also sodium silicate.
Funding
- The e-RA database, including the published datasets generated from it, is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI) , which also includes the Long-Term Experiments, the Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network.
- The RLTE-NBRI is supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017); BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022); BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028)).
Keywords
- arable soils, barley, crop yield, experimental design, farmyard manure, fertilizer, hoosfield spring barley long-term experiment, long term experiments, nitrogen content, phosphorous, rothamsted research, soil, soil organic carbon
Datasets available
| Title (hover for a longer description) | Year of Publication | Identifier | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
Crop yield data - Summary | |||
| Hoosfield mean long-term spring barley yields 1852-2015 | 2017 | https://doi.org/10.23637/KeyRefOAHByields |
01 |
Experiment details | |||
| Hoosfield Barley Experiment organic manure chemical composition 1852-2019 | 2024 | https://doi.org/10.23637/rhb2-FYM-01 |
01 |
Soil data | |||
| Hoosfield soil organic carbon content | 2012 | https://doi.org/10.23637/KeyRefOAHBsoc |
01 |
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- Additional data is available through e-RAdata. Please register for access
Key Information
Plans and treatments
Plans, fertilizer treatments and cropping details for the Hoosfield spring barley experiment
Crop nutrients
information about crop macro nutrient content (% N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and S)
Soil chemical and physical properties
Information about soil properties, and details of which soil chemical properties have been measured
Site: Hoosfield - Rothamsted
- Experiment Site: Rothamsted
- Description: The Hoosfield Spring Barley experiment was started in 1852 on a 1.7 hectare (4.25 acre) site, to test the effects of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on the growth of spring barley. The site has probably been occupied since Roman times, and the Rothamsted map of 1623 shows the site under arable cultivation. Before the experiment started the following arable crops were grown: turnips (with FYM and superphosphate) 1847, barley 1848, clover 1849, wheat 1850, barley (with ammonium salts) 1851.
- Management: The site is managed using conventional tillage and pesticide applications are applied as necessary. The plough layer (0-23 m) is limed when necessary to maintain a minimum soil pH of 7.0 – 7.5. There is no irrigation.
- Visit Permitted?: Yes
- Visiting Arrangments: Contact Dr Andrew Gregory
- Elevation: 130 Metres
- Geolocation: 51.81206, -0.37608
Soil
- Type: Luvisol
Flinty silty clay loam topsoil over clay-with–flints (Avery and Catt, 1995). The soils contain a large number of flints and are slightly calcareous. Below about 2m depth the soil becomes chalk. The experiment is under-drained and the site is free draining.
- Soil Properties
| Variable | Value | Reference Year | Is Estimated | Is Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay content | 20% (Percent) | NO | NO | |
| Silt content | 52% (Percent) | NO | NO | |
| Sand content | 28% (Percent) | NO | NO |
Experiment Design
- 1 - Period 1 - 1852 - 1967
- 2 - Period 2 Rotation - 1968 - 1978
- 3 - Period 2 Main plots - 1968 - 1978
- 4 - Period 3 Silicate treatments - 1979 - 2000
- 5 - Period 3 Main plots - 1979 - 2000
- 6 - Current period Main plots - 2001 - Now
- 7 - Current period Silicate test - 2001 - Now
- 8 - Current period P test - 2001 - Now
Use the arrows to navigate between periods
- 1 - Period 1 - 1852 - 1967 - 
Description
- Four combinations of nutrients were tested in a factorial design (strips 1-4): 0 v P v KMgNa v PKMgNa. This series was crossed by four series testing either no N or three forms of N usually applied at 48kgNha-1 (Series O, no N; Series A, ammonium sulphate; Series AA, sodium nitrate; Series C, rape cake, later castor meal). Four additional plots test: unmanured (plot 61); ashes, 1852-1932 (plot 62); residues of FYM applied 1852-1871 (plot 71); FYM since 1852 (plot 72). The sodium nitrate series was divided in 1862 for a test of with and without sodium silicate, to see what effect this had on straw strength, which was used in large quantities in the local hat factories at that time.
Design
- Period: 1852 - 1967
- Experiment Design Type: Demonstration strip design
- Number of Plots: 16
- Number of Replicates: 1
- Number of Sub-plots:
- Number of Harvests per Year: 1
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Spring Barley | 1852 - |
Factors
Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.
| Level Name | Factor Name | Amount | Years | Frequency | Method | Chemical Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonium Sulfate (series A) | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 48 kgN/ha | 1852 - 1966 | Annually | Ammonium Sulfate | Applied in the spring. | |
| Sodium Nitrate (series Aa) Plots 1aa-4aa | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 48 kgN/ha | 1852 - 1966 | Annually | Sodium Sulphate | Applied in spring. | |
| Castor Meal (series C) Plots 1c-4c | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 48 kgN/ha | 1852 - 1967 | Annually | Castor bean meal since 1941, rape cake 1852-1940. | ||
| No Nitrogen (series O) Plots 1o-4o | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 0 kgN/ha | 1852 - 1967 | ||||
| P | Phosphate Fertilizer Exposure | 35 kgP/ha | 1852 - 1966 | Annually | Triple Superphosphate | applied in the spring | |
| Knamg | Potassium Fertilizer Exposure | 90 kgK/ha | 1852 - 1966 | Annually | Potassium Sulphate | Applied in the spring, along with 16kgNa/ha as sodium sulphate and 11kgMg/ha as magnesium sulphate | |
| Fym Strip 72 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 35 t/ha | 1852 - 1967 | Annuallty | Farmyard Manure | Applied before ploughing usually in the autumn | |
| Fym-residue Strip 71 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 35 t/ha | 1852 - 1871 | Annually | Farmyard Manure | Applied before ploughing usually in the autumn for 20 years only | |
| None Strip 61 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 0 t/ha | 1852 - 1967 | No FYM or inorganic fertilizer applied | |||
| Ashes Strip 62 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 1852 - 1932 | Ashes were added to inorganic P, KNaMg fertilizers to aid spreading. This is a test of the ashes alone. Not applied 1928, 1929. | ||||
| Silicate Aas | Silicon Nutrient Exposure | 450 kg/ha | 1862 - 1967 | Annually | Sodium Silicate | Silicate test on Series AA only 450 kg/ha calcium silicate and sodium silicate 1862-1867. | |
| No Silicate Aa | Silicon Nutrient Exposure | 0 kg/ha | 1862 - 1967 | Silicate test on Series AA only |
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield Components | t/ha | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw yields at field moisture content, approximately 85% dry matter. |
| Soil Organic Carbon | t/ha | Occasionally | Soil | Topsoil (0-23cm) from soil sampled in 1852, 1882, 1913, 1946 and 1965. |
| Soil Total Nitrogen | % | Occasionally | Soil | Topsoil (0-23cm) from soil sampled in 1852, 1882, 1913, 1946 and 1965. |
| Soil Bulk Density | g/cm3 | Occasionally | Topsoil (0-23cm) from soil sampled in 1852, 1882, 1913, 1946 and 1965. |
- 
- 2 - Period 2 Rotation - 1968 - 1978 -
Description
- The 8 large plots of Series AA and C werer each divided into 16 sub-subplots in 1968. A test of rotation or continuous barley was carried out on the sub-plots. Four N rates were tested on the sub-sub plots. The 8 main plots tested 4 combinations of nutrients in a factorial design (strips 1-4): 0 v P v KMgNa v PKMgNa, crossed by 2 series testing two forms of N applied 1852-1967, AA (sodium nitrate) and C (castor bean meal) at 48kgN/ha.
Design
- Period: 1968 - 1978
- Experiment Design Type: Split split plot
- Number of Plots: 8
- Number of Replicates: 1
- Number of Sub-plots:
- Number of Harvests per Year: 1
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Spring Barley | |
| Potatoes | |
| Beans |
Crop Rotations
| Rotation | Crops |
|---|---|
| Series C rotation (1968 - 1978) | Spring Barley > Beans > Potatoes |
| Series AA rotation (1968 - 1978) | Spring Barley > Beans > Potatoes |
Factors
Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.
| Level Name | Factor Name | Amount | Years | Frequency | Method | Chemical Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N0 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 0 | 1968 - 1978 | Nil treatment | |||
| N1 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 48 kgN/ha | 1968 - 1978 | Annually | Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in the spring | |
| N2 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 96 kgN/ha | 1968 - 1978 | Annually | Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in the spring | |
| N3 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 144 kgN/ha | 1968 - 1978 | Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in the spring | ||
| P | Phosphate Fertilizer Exposure | 34 kgP/ha | 1968 - 1978 | Triple Superphosphate | Applied before ploughing usually in the autumn | ||
| Knamg | Potassium Fertilizer Exposure | 90 kgK/ha | 1968 - 1978 | Annually | Potassium Sulphate | Applied before ploughing, usually in the autumn, with 11kgMg and 16kgNa fertilizer |
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield Components | t/ha | Annually | AllCrops | grain and straw yields at 85% dry matter |
| Crop Nutrient Data | % | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw %N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na since 1970. |
| Thousand Grain Weight | g | Annually | selected plots only from 1974 onwards | |
| Soil Organic Carbon | % | Soil | 1975 selected plots | |
| Soil Total Nitrogen | % | Soil | 1975 selected plots | |
| Soil Bulk Density | g/cm3 | Soil | 1975 selected plots |
- - 3 - Period 2 Main plots - 1968 - 1978 -
Description
- Continuation of main layout of middle period, continuous spring barley only. 16 Main Plots testing various combinations of P, KNaMg, and FYM, on three earlier N treatments; Series O (no fertilizer N); Series A (48 kgN as ammonium sulphate) and Series C (48kg N as castor bean meal) 1852-1967 (see Early period 1).
Design
- Period: 1968 - 1978
- Experiment Design Type: Split-plot, with 4 N treatments (0, 48, 96 and 144 kg N/ha) as the sub plots.
- Number of Plots: 16
- Number of Replicates: 1
- Number of Sub-plots:
- Number of Harvests per Year: 1
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Spring Barley |
Factors
Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.
| Level Name | Factor Name | Amount | Years | Frequency | Method | Chemical Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N0 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 0 kgN/ha | - | SInce 1981 the N rates rotate annually, N3>N2>N1>N0 | |||
| N1 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 48 kgN/ha | 1968 - | Annually | Calcium Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in spring. SInce 1981 the N rates rotate annually, N3>N2>N1>N0 | |
| N2 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 96 kgN/ha | 1968 - | Annually | Calcium Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in spring. SInce 1981 the N rates rotate annually, N3>N2>N1>N0 | |
| N3 | Nitrogen Fertilizer Exposure | 144 kgN/ha | 1968 - | Calcium Ammonium Nitrate | Applied in spring. SInce 1981 the N rates rotate annually, N3>N2>N1>N0 | ||
| P | Phosphate Fertilizer Exposure | 35 kgP/ha | 1852 - 2002 | Annually | Triple Superphosphate | Applied in autumn before ploughing. | |
| Kmg | Potassium Fertilizer Exposure | 90 kgK/ha | 1852 - | Annually | Potassium Sulphate | Applied before ploughing in autumn. Applied annually since 1852 with 35kgMg as Kieserite every three years. 16kgNa/ha applied annually as sodium sulphate until 1978. | |
| Fym Strip 72 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 35 t/ha | 1852 - | Annually | Farmyard Manure | Applied before ploughing in autumn. Continuation of FYM treatment from early and middle period. | |
| Fym-residue Strip 71 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 35 t/ha | 1852 - 1871 | Annually | Farmyard Manure | Continuation of FYM-residue treatment from early and middle period. | |
| None Strip 61 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 0 t/ha | - | No FYM applied. Continuation of Early and Middle Period treatment. | |||
| Ash Strip 62 | Farmyard Manure Exposure | 1852 - 1932 | Continuation of treatment from Early and Middle period. | ||||
| Si, Series Aa | Silicon Nutrient Exposure | 450 kg/ha | 1980 - | Sodium Silicate | Applied before ploughing in the autumn. | ||
| (si), Series Aa | Silicon Nutrient Exposure | 450 kg/ha | 1862 - 1979 | Sodium Silicate | Applied before ploughing in autumn |
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield Components | t/ha | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw yields at 85% dry matter. |
| Crop Nutrient Content | % | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw %N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na since 1979, %S since 1996, from main plots only. |
| Thousand Grain Weight | g | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | selected plots only from 1974 onwards |
| Soil Organic Carbon | % | Infrequently | Soil | 1982, 1998, 2000 on selected plots only. 0-23cm. Some subsoil data also available in 2000. |
| Total Soil Nitrogen | % | Infreqently | Soil | 1982, 1998, 2000 on selected plots only. 0-23cm. Some subsoil data also available in 2000. |
| Plant Available Phosphorous | mg/kg | Infreqently | Soil | 1982, 1998, 2000 on selected plots only. 0-23cm. Some subsoil data also available in 2000. |
| Soil pH | Infreqently | Soil | 1982, 1998, 2008 on selected plots only. 0-23cm. Some subsoil data in 1998. | |
| Exchangeable Cations | Infreqently | Soil | Exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Na, 1982 and 2000, selected plots. 0-23cm soil layer. |
- - 4 - Period 3 Silicate treatments - 1979 - 2000 -
Description
- Continuation of main layout of middle period, continuous spring barley only. Series AA was modified in 1980 to test: 0 v silicate 1862-1979 v silicate since 1980 v silicate since 1862. Two new plots testing P2KMg (plot 63) and FYM (plot 73) were introduced in 2001 and Strip 5 tested various other combinations of N, P, K and Mg.
Design
- Period: 1979 - 2000
- Experiment Design Type: Split-plot
- - 5 - Period 3 Main plots - 1979 - 2000 -
Design
- Period: 1979 - 2000
- - 6 - Current period Main plots - 2001 - Now -
Design
- Period: 2001 - Now
- - 7 - Current period Silicate test - 2001 - Now -
Design
- Period: 2001 - Now
- - 8 - Current period P test - 2001 - Now
Design
- Period: 2001 - Now
License
These media (images and videos) are
available under a Creative Commons
Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.
Images
Key References
2015
- - Rothamsted_Research (2015) "Hoosfield spring barley experiment plans and fertilizer treatments 1968-2000", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/rhb2-plans1968-2000-01
2012
- - Rothamsted_Research (2012) "Hoosfield spring barley experiment plan and fertilizer treatments 1852-1967", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/rhb2-plan1852-1967-01
2009
- - Rothamsted_Research (2009) "Hoosfield spring barley experiment plan and fertilizer treatments 2001 onwards", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/rhb2-plan2001-01
- - Johnston, A. E., Poulton, P. R. and Coleman, K. (2009) "Soil organic matter: its importance in sustainable agriculture and carbon dioxide fluxes", Advances in Agronomy, 101, 1–57 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2113(08)00801-8
2001
- - Glendining, M. J., Poulton, P. R., Powlson, D. S., Macdonald, A. J. and Jenkinson, D. S. (2001) "Availability of the residual nitrogen from a single application of N-15-labelled fertilizer to subsequent crops in a long-term continuous barley experiment", Plant and Soil, 233, 231–239 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1010508914895
1997
- - Glendining, M. J., Poulton, P. R., Powlson, D. S. and Jenkinson, D. S. (1997) "Fate of N-15-labelled fertilizer applied to spring barley grown on soils of contrasting nutrient status", Plant and Soil, 195, 83–98 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1004295531657
1996
- - Poulton, P. R. (1996) "Hoosfield Continuous Barley. ", Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Report No. 7, GCTE Task 3.3.1, Soil Organic Matter Network (SOMNET): 1996 Model and Experimental Metadata (Smith P. , Smith J.U. and Powlson D.S. (eds) - GCTE Focus 3 Office, Wallingford, UK), 86–88
1977
- - Jenkinson, D. S. and Johnston, A. E. (1977) "Soil organic matter in the Hoosfield continuous barley experiment", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1976 , Part 2 , 87–101 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1976p2-89-103
1967
- - Warren, R. G. and Johnston, A. E. (1967) "Hoosfield Continuous Barley", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1966 , , 320–338 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1966-320-338
