Barley producers
Barley is a cereal with a sweet, almondy flavour. Both the market and Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza Campo de Tejada use it in two ways, since it can be used for the production of animal feed or to make malt to brew beer.
Our Cooperative’s barley producers devote their efforts mainly to the cultivation of what is known as “two-row barley” or malting barley. Today, part of the industry is strongly backing this option for its raw materials. The brewer, Heineken and, by extension, its local subsidiary, Cruzcampo, aim to source all of
their supplies from Andalusia. This is their policy, and it is generating an increase in the market share of barley from western Andalusia, where we are located.
Thanks to the qualities of our soil, it is very easy for our barley producers to meet the requirements of the brewing industry. We are required to provide a specific weight and specific protein values. The protein values must be between nine and eleven, no more no less. Here, our barley producers can meet these requirements with great ease.
The ideal soil for barley producers
We have ideal soil for barley crops. Barley, like triticale, is a resilient crop which is not very demanding as regards fertilisers and soil.
As a general rule, barley prefers fertile land, but can also grow well in shallow and stony soil, so long as there is no shortage of water during its early stages of growth. It does not like very clayey soil and it tolerates high salinity well. It is not favoured by very compact soil, since this hinders germination and the early growth of the plant.
Los suelos arcillosos, húmedos y encharcadizos son desfavorables para la
cebada, aunque en ellos se pueden obtener altos rendimientos si se realiza un buen laboreo y se conserva la humedad del suelo. Los suelos con excesivo nitrógeno inducen el encamado e incrementan el porcentaje de nitrógeno en el grano hasta niveles inapropiados, cuando se destina a la fabricación de malta para cerveza.
En el caso de nuestra Cooperativa, la dosis de siembra para la cebada es algo menor que la utilizada para otros cereales como el trigo duro, el trigo blando o los triticales. En nuestros campos la dosis para la cebada oscila entre los 190-200 kilos de semilla por hectárea.
