Strategies for Potassium Fertilization and Mowing to Improve Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Yield as Green Feed

The study was conducted in Al-Muthanna City / Al-Warka district (20 km from downtown), in one of the farms affiliated with the Ministry of Agricultural Extension Department during the two farming seasons (2023-2024) and (2024-2025). The aim was to determine the strategies of potassium fertilization and the number of mowings and their role in improving the growth and yield of green fodder for barley crops. The experiment was conducted using the split-plot design with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and three replicates, where potassium levels were placed in the main plots and mowings in the subplots. The results showed the following; The treatment of two mowings excelled in the characteristics of tiller number, leaf number per plant, leaf to stem ratio, specific weight, and green and dry fodder yield, giving the highest averages of (209 and 220 tillers/m²), (3.62 and 4.13 leaves/plant), (77.87 and 75.7%), (4.92 and 4.64 g/cm²), (19.58 and 19.21 tons/ha), and (3.71 and 4.03 tons/ha) for both seasons, respectively. The potassium fertilization level of 180 kg/ha excelled, recording the maximal averages in the characteristics of tiller number, leaf number per plant, leaf to stem ratio, specific weight, and green and dry fodder yield, reaching (216.33 and 227.50 tillers/m²), (4.46 and 4.80 leaves/plant), (89.83% for the first season for leaf to stem ratio), (6.69 and 6.46), (27.23 and 24.91 tons/ha), and (4.90 and 5.15 tons/ha) for both seasons, respectively. The combination of the second mowing x 180 kg/ha excelled in all studied characteristics.