Ask a Farmer

Q: How can I tell the difference between a wheat crop and barley crop in the field?

Most often the easiest way to tell the difference between wheat and barley crops in the field is by looking at its awns (long hair-like stems coming from the head of the plant). Barley usually has much longer awns, reaching up to 1 inch compared to wheat awns which reach about ¼ of an inch in length. Some wheat varieties have no awns at all making them easier to identify
Also, when the plants are ready for harvest, wheat is a golden brown in colour, while barely is more of a yellow-white tone.

– Jeremy Boychyn, Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, MSc, P.Ag