UK: Winter barley yields generally proving disappointing in the UK

While harvest is progressing well in the UK, yields are generally proving disappointing, with averages down for winter wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape, Farmers Weekly reported on August 19 citing an AHDB report.

The winter barley harvest is all but complete in the UK, ahead of last year’s 94% complete.

There is a small proportion left to be cut in Northern Ireland.

The average winter barley yield is 6.3t/ha, down 11% on the UK five-year average.

There are big differences in yields between regions.

Winter barley yields in the East were up 22% on average.

They were down in all other regions, except the South East, where the five-year average level was seen.

The largest decline was observed in the East Midlands, with yields 21% below average.

Winter malting barley quality is good, although there have been some lower bushel weights and subsequently lower screenings (retentions on a 2.5mm sieve).

There were also some comments regarding increased admix, primarily volunteer cereals or secondary growth.

• Specific weights are coming in between 59-72kg/hl, with an average of 64kg/hl.
• Screening retentions (on a 2.25mm sieve) for winter barley are averaging 88%, but with a range of 85-98%. This is a little lower than normal due to a smaller grain size.
• Grain nitrogen (for malting varieties) have averaged 1.5% with a range of 1.3-1.6%. This is low for winter malting barley, where maltsters typical look for grain nitrogen of up to 1.75%.
• There are no reported problems with germination in the winter malting crop.

Across the UK, only 7% of the surveyed spring barley area had been cut at the time of reporting.

This is ahead of last year, when 5% of the GB area had been harvested, but slightly behind the five-year average of 9% complete.

Spring barley harvest is under way in the East and in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Anecdotally, substantial progress has been made in the east of England, with as much as 50% of the crop cut on some farms.

However, this is not the case for farms within this survey.

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