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Difference between revisions of "Barley"

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Barley is grown using barley (raw), water, grain fertiliser and weed killer, and requires you to know the Barley Cultivation technology. (NOTE: Weed killer is not strictly necessary for growing barley, and some cultivation strategies ignore it.) New citizens may obtain a starter packet of 4 raw barley from any University of Worship where Barley Cultivation has been unlocked.
+
== Overview ==
 +
Barley is one of the staple crops of Egypt. Harvested raw, it can be cooked in a [[Grain Oven]] to make roasted barley (light, medium, dark or burnt). It can be turned into [[Malt (raw)]], and the malt can itself be cooked similarly. Malted barley is a primary ingredient in [[Beer]].
  
    * Grain fertilizer is made in a kettle. Each batch of 50 fertilizer requires 1 carp, 5 water in jugs, and 5 wood.
+
It is grown from [[Barley (Raw)]] using water and [[Grain Fertilizer]], and (optionally) [[Weed Killer]], yielding more Barley (raw).
    * Weed killer is also made in a kettle. Each batch of 50 weed killer requires 1 Toad Skin mushroom, 5 water in jugs, and 5 wood.  
 
  
Plant a barley patch on grassy terrain. Barley patches have controls to add water, fertilizer, and weed killer, and meters indicating the current level of each. When water and fertilizer are high, the barley will grow rapidly. When water and fertlizer are low, the barley will die back. Weed killer has no effect on the pace of growth. Water, fertilizer, and weed killer levels will all drop as time passes.
+
Once you have grown and harvested 1000 barley, you become eligible to grow barley as one of your [[Offline Chores]].
  
Barley may be harvested at any time. If the patch does not display as "Ready to Harvest", it will yield between 0 and 5 barley, depending on the presence of weeds and how much the barley has been allowed to grow. "Ready to Harvest" patches will yield 10 barley. A barley patch which is Ready for Harvest will die 20 TeppyMinutes later if left unharvested.
+
== Uses ==
 +
* [[Cooking]]
 +
* Placed on a [[Malting Tray]] to make [[Malt (raw)]].  
 +
* Feed for [[Chickens]]
  
    In tale 2:
+
{{RequiredBy}}
    There was one additional way to increase the yield of a "Ready to Harvest" barley patch:
 
    You would gain an additional 10 barley for each rank of worship you had.
 
  
    The above bonus only apply to patches which are Ready to Harvest; there is no gain in
+
== Cultivation ==
    patches harvested early. All bonuses are calculated based on who harvests the barley,
+
Barley is grown using [[Barley (Raw)]], water, [[Grain Fertilizer]] and [[Weed Killer]], and requires you to know the [[Barley Cultivation]] technology. New citizens may obtain a starter packet of 4 raw barley from any [[University of Worship]] where Barley Cultivation has been unlocked.
    not who grows it.
 
  
In order for a barley patch to achieve "Ready to Harvest" status, it must have reached a certain level of growth and be entirely free of weeds.
+
* 50 [[Grain Fertilizer]] = 1 [[Carp Fish]], 5 [[Water in Jugs]], and 5 [[Wood]] in a [[Kettle]].
 +
* 50 [[Weed Killer]] = 1 [[Toad Skin]] mushroom, 5 [[Water in Jugs]], and 5 [[Wood]] in a [[Kettle]].
  
Weeds
+
'''NOTE:''' Weed killer is not strictly necessary for growing barley, and some cultivation strategies ignore it. 
  
As barley grows, one or more weeds may appear in the patch. Weeds will retard the growth of the barley, and will prevent a patch from becoming Ready to Harvest. There are three kinds of weeds, each one requiring a different technique to fight:
+
=== General Information ===
 +
Plant a barley patch on grassy terrain. Barley patches have controls to add water, fertilizer, and weed killer, and meters indicating the current level of each.  
 +
* Water, fertilizer, and weed killer levels will all drop as time passes.
 +
* When water and fertilizer are high, the barley will grow rapidly.
 +
* When water and fertilizer are low, the barley will die back.  
 +
* Weed killer has no effect on the pace of growth.
  
Yellow, leafy weed
+
Barley may be harvested at any time.
 +
* If the patch does not display as "Ready to Harvest", it will yield between 0 and 5 barley, depending on the presence of weeds and how much the barley has been allowed to grow.
 +
* "Ready to Harvest" patches will yield 10 barley.  The yield is increased by 10 for every rank you earn in the Worship discipline (a Student will get 20 total, a Prentice 30, etc.).
 +
* In order for a barley patch to achieve "Ready to Harvest" status, it must have reached a certain level of growth and be entirely free of weeds.
  
"Green leafy" might be better,
+
'''NOTE:''' A barley patch which is "Ready for Harvest" will die 20 minutes later if left unharvested.
but "yellow" is tradtional Green, spiky weed Brown, leafy weed
 
  
"Brown spiky" might be better,
+
=== Weeds ===
but "leafy" is traditional
 
 
−Water
 
+Fertilizer
 
+Weedkiller +Water
 
−Fertilizer
 
+Weedkiller +Water
 
−Fertilizer
 
−Weedkiller
 
Let the amount of water drop while adding weed killer.
 
  
You must do both. Let the amount of fertilizer drop while adding weed killer.
+
As barley grows, it is subject to attack by three varieties of weed.  These appear randomly and, when present, prevent a barley field from reaching maturity. More than one type of weed may be present simultaneously.  A field with weeds can be harvested, but the barley yield is less than one without.
  
You must do both. Let the amount of fertilizer drop.
+
Weeds thrive and remain in a field until killed.  Unlike [[flax]] weeds, barley weeds cannot simply be yanked out of the ground; they must be made to die off by manipulating the level of water, fertilizer, and weedkiller in the field.
  
This weed is not affected by weedkiller.
+
* '''Weed #1''' is thin and spiky.  It thrives on fertilizer and is immune to weedkiller.  To get rid of it, stop adding fertilizer.  The weed will disappear when the fertilizer level gets low enough.  Water and weedkiller neither help nor harm the weed.
  
You must eliminate a weed completely before allowing the water or fertilizer level rise again; otherwise, it will simply return.
+
* '''Weed #2''' is yellow with small leaves.  It thrives on water.  To get rid of it, start adding weedkiller and stop adding water.  The weed will disappear when water is low enough and weedkiller is high enough.  The fertilizer level has no effect.
  
Multiple Weeds
+
* '''Weed #3''' is green with a white puffball on top.  It thrives on fertilizer.  To get rid of it, start adding weedkiller and stop adding fertilizer.  The weed will vanish when fertilizer is low enough and weedkiller is high enough.  The water level does not affect it.
  
Often you will have more than one type of weed at the same time. Here are the various combinations of weeds, and the best way to treat that combination. Keep up this treatment until only one type of weed is left and then go back to the above single weed methods.
 
  
Yellow + Green
+
{| border="1"
    (−Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller)
+
! Picture !! How to Kill !! Unaffected By
Yellow + Brown
+
|-
    (+Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller)
+
| [[Image:Weed1.jpg|thumb|50px]]
Green + Brown
+
| Low Fert
    (+Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller)
+
| Water, Weedkiller
All Three
+
|-
    (+Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller)
+
| [[Image:Weed2.jpg|thumb|50px]]
 +
| Low Water, <br>High Weedkiller
 +
| Fertilizer
 +
|-
 +
| [[Image:Weed3.jpg|thumb|50px]]
 +
| Low Fert, <br>High Weedkiller
 +
| Water
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
Techniques
+
*Brown: High Water & Weedkiller
Growing Barley With Weedkiller
+
*Yellow: High Weedkiller & Fert
 +
*Green: High Weedkiller & Water
  
Fill water and fertilizer to the maximum immediately after planting the barley. Every tick, add more water and fertilizer to keep the bars maximized. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds.
+
If your goal is to grow a barley field to completion, you will devote a lot of time to fighting weeds. Occasionally a lucky field will make it to maturity without a single weed, but these are rare.  More often you will have to watch your barley closely and manage the levels in order to keep your barley healthy, while cutting back on those ingredients that feed the weeds. A field may suffer multiple weed attacks before it reaches maturity.  Patience and a good supply of weedkiller are required of the devoted barley farmer.
  
If yellow weeds appear, stop adding water until the weed is gone. When water reaches 50%, add weed killer and keep weed killer above 50%. (Weed killer will not eliminate the weed until water has dropped below 50%, so there is no reason to add it before then.) Keep fertilizer at 50-75%; there is a good chance that one of the other weeds will appear before you have killed this one, forcing you to drop fertlizer.
+
('''Hekatef's Observation:''' Although we know how to treat weeds once they appear, there is no way to ''prevent'' them that I know of. Weed appearances seem to be entirely random, with no controllable factors making them more or less frequent. They will happily sprout up in a field already full of weedkiller.  They do not seem to "spread", so having weeds in one field will not affect adjacent fields.  I know of no ecological affects that influence the appearance of weeds.  In other words, forget about trying to ''prevent'' weeds, and just deal with them as the inevitable random force they are.  If anyone should discover a reliable method to prevent weeds, discussion is warmly encouraged!)
  
If green or brown weeds appear, stop adding fertilizer until the weed is gone. For green weeds, add weed killer when fertilizer has dropped to 50%. Keep water at 75-100%; yellow weeds is the only ones vulnerable to water, so there is less chance that you will need to decrease water before killing the current weed.
+
== Harvesting Methods ==
 +
=== Using Water, Fertilizer and Weed Killer ===
  
Be very careful when adding water or fertilizer back in after killing off a weed. Weeds can be hard to spot, and if even one remains, you will have to start the process all over again.
+
==== The [[User:Hekatef|Hekatef]] Method ====
  
Harvest patches only when they are ready to harvest.
+
I like to run 3 barley fields at a time -- that's as many as I can fit on the screen simultaneously while still zoomed in enough to spot weeds.
  
When growing multiple patches of barley using this method, it is useful to plant them in a circle and stand in the middle. Rotate the camera to examine each patch in turn, maintain it, and move on to the next.
+
I start a field by adding 1 water and 1 fertilizer right away.  At all times, for as long as there are no weeds to worry about, I keep a field at max water and fertilizer (or just a smidgen below max). This keeps the field progressing quickly toward "Ready to Harvest" status.
  
Crib sheet
+
I keep a ''very'' close eye out for weeds and treat them as soon as they appear.  I don't skimp on the weedkiller -- if it's needed, then I keep weedkiller at max (or a smidgen below max) for as long as it takes for the weed(s) to die.  I stop water and/or fertilizer, as needed, while keeping the other ingredient maxed out; that way the barley can stay as nourished as possible in the meantime.  Sometimes a field is hit with multiple weeds simultaneously, and at these times there's nothing to do but max out weedkiller, withhold water ''and'' fertilizer, and wait -- the barley will suffer a little, but once the weeds are gone you'll be able to make up for lost time.
Yellow −Water +Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
Green +Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
Brown +Water −Fertilizer −Weedkiller
 
Yellow + Green −Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
Yellow + Brown +Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
Green + Brown +Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
All Three +Water −Fertilizer +Weedkiller
 
  
Growing Barley Without Weedkiller
+
All in all, at the end of a session of barley harvesting, I find I've used fertilizer and weedkiller in more or less equal amounts.
  
My method for growing without weedkiller is to plant the barley, immediately add 1 water and 1 fertilizer, add 1 of each every other tick, and if weeds appear, immediately harvest the bed and plant a new one. While you won't get many grown to full harvest, this usually ends up netting me about 4-5 barley per field.
+
'''Stay observant!'''  Sometimes weeds are very small and hard to see.  Zoom in and move the camera a bit if you're not sure.  Also, a weed infestation can consist of more than one plant: just because you see one weed fade away, it doesn't mean you've eradicated all of them.  Don't start adding water/fertilizer again until you're positive the field is free of weeds that thrive on it.
 +
 
 +
==== Drowning Barley Method by Xaxyx ====
 +
 
 +
For those Egyptians who find weedkiller to be a bit difficult or costly to obtain in large quantities, I recommend the following method.  It uses some fertilizer, very little weedkiller -- and lots of water!
 +
 
 +
To start out, plant as many barley fields as you feel you can run comfortably.  (I run four; ymmv.)  Fill their water to maximum.  Give them each a pulse of fertilizer.
 +
 
 +
Every tick, fill the water back to maximum.  Growing near a water source helps so you don't have to run for more all the time.  Keep water maxed at all times and in all circumstances; don't even think about it.
 +
 
 +
Add fertilizer only if it goes below half, and only if the bed is totally weed-free.  Don't fill it up too high; just one pulse is plenty.
 +
 
 +
Weeds will invariably show up.  Here's how you deal with them:
 +
 
 +
* Thorny: Stop adding fertilizer.  Continue to keep water maximized.  Eventually, the thorns will die.
 +
* Green/white: Stop adding fertilizer.  Continue to keep water maximized.  Wait until fertilizer is low -- 25% or less -- then fill the weedkiller.  Keep weedkiller (and water!) near or at max until the weeds die.
 +
* Yellow: Harvest and start the bed over.  Don't hesitate to do this, even if the bed was almost full.  It's much easier -- and cheaper -- to just plant a new bed.
 +
 
 +
Once you've killed off all of the thorny and green/white weeds, add some fertilizer -- not too much, though, as before.  Continue to keep the water at full.
 +
 
 +
Using this method, about half of your beds should max out, the ones you harvest early will often produce 3-5 barley, and you'll end up using very little weedkiller.
 +
 
 +
=== Using Water and Fertilizer ===
 +
Plant the barley, immediately add 1 water and 1 fertilizer. Add 1 of each every other tick, and if weeds appear, immediately harvest the bed and plant a new one. While you won't get many grown to full harvest, this usually ends up netting about 4-5 barley per field.
 +
 
 +
*With weedkiller being pretty expensive for someone just starting out I use the following method with more full harvest yields per planting session...after planting add 1 weed killer with the 1 water and 1 fert.  Add 1 water and 1 fert for every tick until weeds appear then harvest. (this way if you can only get your hands on a few toadskins you can still plant and harvest quite a bit of barley.)
 +
 
 +
=== Using Water Only ===
 +
It is possible to raise barley (albeit slowly) with no fertilizer or weedkiller.  Simply plant the barley field, water it to the max level, and keep it fully watered.  Ignore any weeds that appear.  When you see the number of stalks increase, harvest.  You should end up with 2 barley per field (net gain of 1 raw barley) if there are weeds, or 3 barley if weed-free.
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Resources]] [[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 03:39, 14 February 2010

Overview

Barley is one of the staple crops of Egypt. Harvested raw, it can be cooked in a Grain Oven to make roasted barley (light, medium, dark or burnt). It can be turned into Malt (raw), and the malt can itself be cooked similarly. Malted barley is a primary ingredient in Beer.

It is grown from Barley (Raw) using water and Grain Fertilizer, and (optionally) Weed Killer, yielding more Barley (raw).

Once you have grown and harvested 1000 barley, you become eligible to grow barley as one of your Offline Chores.

Uses

Required By

Chickens, Cooking

Cultivation

Barley is grown using Barley (Raw), water, Grain Fertilizer and Weed Killer, and requires you to know the Barley Cultivation technology. New citizens may obtain a starter packet of 4 raw barley from any University of Worship where Barley Cultivation has been unlocked.

NOTE: Weed killer is not strictly necessary for growing barley, and some cultivation strategies ignore it.

General Information

Plant a barley patch on grassy terrain. Barley patches have controls to add water, fertilizer, and weed killer, and meters indicating the current level of each.

  • Water, fertilizer, and weed killer levels will all drop as time passes.
  • When water and fertilizer are high, the barley will grow rapidly.
  • When water and fertilizer are low, the barley will die back.
  • Weed killer has no effect on the pace of growth.

Barley may be harvested at any time.

  • If the patch does not display as "Ready to Harvest", it will yield between 0 and 5 barley, depending on the presence of weeds and how much the barley has been allowed to grow.
  • "Ready to Harvest" patches will yield 10 barley. The yield is increased by 10 for every rank you earn in the Worship discipline (a Student will get 20 total, a Prentice 30, etc.).
  • In order for a barley patch to achieve "Ready to Harvest" status, it must have reached a certain level of growth and be entirely free of weeds.

NOTE: A barley patch which is "Ready for Harvest" will die 20 minutes later if left unharvested.

Weeds

As barley grows, it is subject to attack by three varieties of weed. These appear randomly and, when present, prevent a barley field from reaching maturity. More than one type of weed may be present simultaneously. A field with weeds can be harvested, but the barley yield is less than one without.

Weeds thrive and remain in a field until killed. Unlike flax weeds, barley weeds cannot simply be yanked out of the ground; they must be made to die off by manipulating the level of water, fertilizer, and weedkiller in the field.

  • Weed #1 is thin and spiky. It thrives on fertilizer and is immune to weedkiller. To get rid of it, stop adding fertilizer. The weed will disappear when the fertilizer level gets low enough. Water and weedkiller neither help nor harm the weed.
  • Weed #2 is yellow with small leaves. It thrives on water. To get rid of it, start adding weedkiller and stop adding water. The weed will disappear when water is low enough and weedkiller is high enough. The fertilizer level has no effect.
  • Weed #3 is green with a white puffball on top. It thrives on fertilizer. To get rid of it, start adding weedkiller and stop adding fertilizer. The weed will vanish when fertilizer is low enough and weedkiller is high enough. The water level does not affect it.


Picture How to Kill Unaffected By
Weed1.jpg
Low Fert Water, Weedkiller
Weed2.jpg
Low Water,
High Weedkiller
Fertilizer
Weed3.jpg
Low Fert,
High Weedkiller
Water
  • Brown: High Water & Weedkiller
  • Yellow: High Weedkiller & Fert
  • Green: High Weedkiller & Water

If your goal is to grow a barley field to completion, you will devote a lot of time to fighting weeds. Occasionally a lucky field will make it to maturity without a single weed, but these are rare. More often you will have to watch your barley closely and manage the levels in order to keep your barley healthy, while cutting back on those ingredients that feed the weeds. A field may suffer multiple weed attacks before it reaches maturity. Patience and a good supply of weedkiller are required of the devoted barley farmer.

(Hekatef's Observation: Although we know how to treat weeds once they appear, there is no way to prevent them that I know of. Weed appearances seem to be entirely random, with no controllable factors making them more or less frequent. They will happily sprout up in a field already full of weedkiller. They do not seem to "spread", so having weeds in one field will not affect adjacent fields. I know of no ecological affects that influence the appearance of weeds. In other words, forget about trying to prevent weeds, and just deal with them as the inevitable random force they are. If anyone should discover a reliable method to prevent weeds, discussion is warmly encouraged!)

Harvesting Methods

Using Water, Fertilizer and Weed Killer

The Hekatef Method

I like to run 3 barley fields at a time -- that's as many as I can fit on the screen simultaneously while still zoomed in enough to spot weeds.

I start a field by adding 1 water and 1 fertilizer right away. At all times, for as long as there are no weeds to worry about, I keep a field at max water and fertilizer (or just a smidgen below max). This keeps the field progressing quickly toward "Ready to Harvest" status.

I keep a very close eye out for weeds and treat them as soon as they appear. I don't skimp on the weedkiller -- if it's needed, then I keep weedkiller at max (or a smidgen below max) for as long as it takes for the weed(s) to die. I stop water and/or fertilizer, as needed, while keeping the other ingredient maxed out; that way the barley can stay as nourished as possible in the meantime. Sometimes a field is hit with multiple weeds simultaneously, and at these times there's nothing to do but max out weedkiller, withhold water and fertilizer, and wait -- the barley will suffer a little, but once the weeds are gone you'll be able to make up for lost time.

All in all, at the end of a session of barley harvesting, I find I've used fertilizer and weedkiller in more or less equal amounts.

Stay observant! Sometimes weeds are very small and hard to see. Zoom in and move the camera a bit if you're not sure. Also, a weed infestation can consist of more than one plant: just because you see one weed fade away, it doesn't mean you've eradicated all of them. Don't start adding water/fertilizer again until you're positive the field is free of weeds that thrive on it.

Drowning Barley Method by Xaxyx

For those Egyptians who find weedkiller to be a bit difficult or costly to obtain in large quantities, I recommend the following method. It uses some fertilizer, very little weedkiller -- and lots of water!

To start out, plant as many barley fields as you feel you can run comfortably. (I run four; ymmv.) Fill their water to maximum. Give them each a pulse of fertilizer.

Every tick, fill the water back to maximum. Growing near a water source helps so you don't have to run for more all the time. Keep water maxed at all times and in all circumstances; don't even think about it.

Add fertilizer only if it goes below half, and only if the bed is totally weed-free. Don't fill it up too high; just one pulse is plenty.

Weeds will invariably show up. Here's how you deal with them:

  • Thorny: Stop adding fertilizer. Continue to keep water maximized. Eventually, the thorns will die.
  • Green/white: Stop adding fertilizer. Continue to keep water maximized. Wait until fertilizer is low -- 25% or less -- then fill the weedkiller. Keep weedkiller (and water!) near or at max until the weeds die.
  • Yellow: Harvest and start the bed over. Don't hesitate to do this, even if the bed was almost full. It's much easier -- and cheaper -- to just plant a new bed.

Once you've killed off all of the thorny and green/white weeds, add some fertilizer -- not too much, though, as before. Continue to keep the water at full.

Using this method, about half of your beds should max out, the ones you harvest early will often produce 3-5 barley, and you'll end up using very little weedkiller.

Using Water and Fertilizer

Plant the barley, immediately add 1 water and 1 fertilizer. Add 1 of each every other tick, and if weeds appear, immediately harvest the bed and plant a new one. While you won't get many grown to full harvest, this usually ends up netting about 4-5 barley per field.

  • With weedkiller being pretty expensive for someone just starting out I use the following method with more full harvest yields per planting session...after planting add 1 weed killer with the 1 water and 1 fert. Add 1 water and 1 fert for every tick until weeds appear then harvest. (this way if you can only get your hands on a few toadskins you can still plant and harvest quite a bit of barley.)

Using Water Only

It is possible to raise barley (albeit slowly) with no fertilizer or weedkiller. Simply plant the barley field, water it to the max level, and keep it fully watered. Ignore any weeds that appear. When you see the number of stalks increase, harvest. You should end up with 2 barley per field (net gain of 1 raw barley) if there are weeds, or 3 barley if weed-free.