UK: High nitrogen levels in malting barley are causing concern

Rainy conditions continue to slow things down for farmers today, Farmers Weekly Interactive communicated on July 26. Reports are indicating high nitrogen levels in malting barley are causing problems around the country.

Jonathan Arnold of Robin Appel Ltd in Hampshire noted the high nitrogen levels were causing around 70% of Pearl winter barley to be going for feed rather than malting. This has caused an inundation of farmer interest in Fanfare and Maris Otter for next year instead of Pearl, he said.

Mike Clay from Hampshire Grain also noted the high nitrogen levels across the county, based on 90% of winter barley having been cut in his area.

Pearl barley for Jim Meadows’ neighbour in Warwickshire did not make malting with 1.89% nitrogen levels. Low yields were also a feature, and his own crop suffered from “too many bare headlands”. But nitrogen levels of 1.75% were lower than last year for James Dean in Wiltshire. He said: “The malting barley has done well, but we had poor feed barley.”

Yields for Brian Mummery in Canterbury varied from 6.8 to 7t/ha, and he hopes “it meets the [malting] standards”. However given the change to the weather, he added: “I’m glad to have some barley [harvested] under my belt."