Woburn Continuous Barley
- Experiment Code: W/XB/6
- Experiment Site: Woburn
- Objectives: To study the effects of fertilisers and manures on the yield of spring barley grown continuously
- Date Start: 1877
- Date End: 1966
- Key Contacts: Margaret Glendining, (Data Manager), 0000-0002-6466-4629 , Andy Gregory, (Experiment Manager), 0000-0001-7123-0784 ,
Description
- This experiment is almost identical to the Hoosfield Barley experiments at Rothamsted, but at Woburn. It started in spring 1877, on Woburn Stackyard field. There is a parallel experiment on Continuous Wheat which started in 1876, with the same plot numbers. The experiments were carried out by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) but with input from Lawes.
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 farming, barley, experimental design, farmyard manure, fertilizer, grain yield, liming, long term experiments, nitrogen content, rothamsted research, soil organic carbon, soil ph, woburn continuous barley experiment
Datasets available
| Title (hover for a longer description) | Year of Publication | Identifier | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
Crop yield data - Annual | |||
| Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1927-1942 | 2022 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield2742-01 |
01 |
| Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1943-1966 | 2022 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield4366-01 |
01 |
| Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1877-1926 | 2022 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield7726-01 |
01 |
Soil data | |||
| Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment soil data 1876-1932 | 2022 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-soil7632-01 |
01 |
- List all eRA datasets
- Additional data is available through e-RAdata. Please register for access
Site: Continuous barley experiment, Woburn Stackyard - Woburn
- Experiment Site: Woburn
- Description: In grass for at least 50 years by the early 1820s, probably ploughed in 1830s. In arable crops in the 1860s. Four-course rotation of roots, barley, hay and wheat. FYM applied to the root crops.
- Management: Conventional management and tillage for the time.
- Visit Permitted?: No
- Elevation: 89 Metres
- Geolocation: 52.0003, -0.6149
Soil
- Type: Eutric Rubic Arenosol
Sandy loam, Stackyard series.
- Soil Properties
| Variable | Value | Reference Year | Is Estimated | Is Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil total carbon | 1.5% (Percent) | 1876 | NO | YES |
| Total soil nitrogen | 0.156 (percent) | 1876 | NO | YES |
| Soil pH | 6.1 () | 1876 | NO | YES |
| Clay content | 11.7% (Percent) | 1876 | NO | YES |
Experiment Design
Use the arrows to navigate between periods
- 1 - Period 1 - 1877 - 1926 - 
Description
- 11 main plots, receiving different fertilizer and manure treatments. Some were split into up to 4 sub-plots with and without lime, as the soil became more acidic.
Design
- Period: 1877 - 1926
- Experiment Design Type: Demonstration strip design
- Number of Plots: 11
- 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 |
|---|
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain Yield Trait | t/ha | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw yields at field moisture content, approximately 85% dry matter. |
| Nitrogen Content | kgN/ha | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | N content of barley grain 1883-1926. |
| Total Soil Nitrogen | % | Infrequent | Soil | Measured in 1876, 1888, 1898, 1916, 1922, 1927, 1932. |
| Soil pH | Infrequent | Soil | Measured in 1876, 1888, 1898, 1916, 1922, 1927, 1932 | |
| Soil Total Carbon | % | Infrequent | Soil | Measured in 1876, 1888, 1898, 1916, 1922, 1927, 1932 |
| Exchangeable Calcium | % | Infrequent | Soil | Measured in 1876, 1888, 1898, 1916, 1922, 1927, 1932 |
- 
- 2 - Period 2 - 1927 - 1958 -
Description
- Same design as the Woburn Continuous Wheat Experiment. Plots divided into four groups according to previous fertilizer and manure treatment in Period 1. Each group of plots received fertilizer N (39, 78, 118 kgN/ha) over a three year cycle. Plots 1, 3, 7 (previously no P or K); Plots 4, 6, 9 (previously PK); Plot 11b (previously FYM); Plots 10a, 10b, 11a (various treatments).
Design
- Period: 1927 - 1958
- Experiment Design Type: Demonstration strip design
- Number of Plots: 10
- 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 |
|---|
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain Yield Trait | t/ha | Annually | SpecifiedCrop | Grain and straw yields at 85% dry matter. |
- - 3 - Period 3 - 1959 - 1966
Description
- Various comparisons of variety, residual effects of P and K, soil structure, etc.
Design
- Period: 1959 - 1966
- Experiment Design Type: Demonstration strip design
- Number of Plots: 11
- Number of Replicates: 1
- Number of Sub-plots:
- Number of Harvests per Year: 1
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Spring Barley | |
| Spring Oats | |
| Spring Beans |
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain Yield Trait | t/ha | Annually | AllCrops | Grain and straw yields at 85% dry matter. |
License
These media (images and videos) are
available under a Creative Commons
Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.
Images
Key References
2022
- - Glendining, M. J. (2022) "Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment treatment details and plan, 1876-1926", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-treats-01
- - Philcox, D., Kimori, J. and Glendining, M. J. (2022) "Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1927-1942", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield2742-01
- - Philcox, D., Kimori, J. and Glendining, M. J. (2022) "Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1943-1966" DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield4366-01
- - Glendining, M. J. (2022) "Woburn Continuous Barley Experiment yields 1877-1926", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/wxb6-yield7726-01
2017
- - Watts, C. W., Glendining, M. J. and Castells-Brooke, N. I. D. (2017) "Woburn Experimental Farm Soil and Field Maps", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/ws-soil-maps-01
2003
- - Blake, L., Johnston, A. E., Poulton, P. R. and Goulding, K. W. T. (2003) "Changes in soil phosphorus fractions following positive and negative phosphorus balances for long periods.", Plant and Soil, 254, 245–261 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025544817872
1994
- - Jenkinson, D. S. and Coleman, K. (1994) "Calculating the annual input of organic matter to soil from radiocarbon measurements", European Journal of Soil Science, 45, 167–174 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1994.tb00498.x
1976
- - Johnston, A. E., Mattingly, G. E. G. and Poulton, P. R. (1976) "Effect of phosphate residues on soil phosphorus values and crop yields. I. Experiments on barley, potatoes and sugar beet on sandy loam soils at Woburn England. ", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1975 , Part 2 , 5–35 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1975p2-5-35
1975
- - Johnston, A. E. and Chater, M. (1975) "Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn, 1876-1974. II. Effects of treatments on soil pH, P and K in the Continuous Wheat and Barley Experiments. ", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1974 , Part 2 , 45–60 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1974p2-47-62 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/ERADOC-1-33159
- - Johnston, A. E. (1975) "Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn, 1876-1974. I. History of the Field, Details of the Cropping and Manuring and the Yields in the Continuous Wheat and Barley Experiments", Rothamsted Experimental Station, Report for 1974 , Part 2 , 29–44 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1974p2-31-46
- - Mattingly, G. E. G., Chater, M. and Johnston, A. E. (1975) "Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn, 1876-1974. III. Effects of NPK Fertilisers and Farmyard Manure on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Organic Phosphorus", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1974 , Part 2 , 61–77 Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1974p2-63-79
1936
- - Russell, E. J. (1936) "Chapter XVI. The Effect of Season on the Yields of Wheat and Barley", Fifty years of the field experiments at the Woburn Experimental Station. Rothamsted Monographs on Agricultural Science. (E.J and Voelcker Russell, J.A. (eds) - Longmans, Green and Co., London ), No. 7, 261–271
- - Russell, E. J. (1936) "Chapter XVII. The Nitrogen Content of the Grain of Barley and Wheat", Fifty years of the field experiments at the Woburn Experimental Station. Rothamsted Monographs on Agricultural Science. (E.J. Russell and J.A. Voelcker (eds) - Longmans, Green and Co., London), No. 7, 272–286
- - Russell, E. J. (1936) "Chapter XV. Soil deterioration under conditions of continuous cropping. ", Fifty years of the field experiments at the Woburn Experimental Station. Rothamsted Monographs on Agricultural Science. (E.J. Russell and J.A. Voelcker (eds) - Longmans, Green and Co., London ), No. 7, 236–260
- - Voelcker, J. A. (1936) "Chapter IV. The Continuous Growth of Barley on the Same Land", Fifty years of the field experiments at the Woburn Experimental Station. Rothamsted Monographs on Agricultural Science. (E.J. Russell and J.A. Voelcker (eds) - Longmans, Green and Co., London), No. 7, 45–54
- - Voelcker, J. A. (1936) "Chapter I. Historical", Fifty years of the field experiments at the Woburn Experimental Station. Rothamsted Monographs on Agricultural Science. (E.J. Russell and J.A. Voelcker (eds) - Longmans, Green and Co., London), No. 7, 1–6
1929
- - Voelcker, J. A. (1929) "Woburn Experimental Farm. Reports for 1926-7 and 1927-8. 1: Continuous growing of wheat and barley (Stackyard field). ", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1927-28 , , 103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/ERADOC-1-85
