UK: Winter and spring barley yield above 10-year average this year

UK’s winter barley harvest started in early July and was complete by mid-August. The start of harvest 2014 was two weeks ahead of 2013 and one week ahead of the five-year average, HGCA reports.

The estimated national average yield of winter barley is 7.2-7.4 t/ha, which is above the 10-year average of 6.4 t/ha. Yields range from 3.2-11.0 t/ha, with the lower yields from areas that have suffered from waterlogging or compaction or crops grown on lighter soils. Higher yields have tended to come from feed, as opposed to malting barley varieties. Yields from hybrid varieties have been variable, with poor yields from hybrid varieties in the North East, but decent yields reported on the same varieties in Scotland and the Eastern region. In the North West, conventional varieties typically yielded 6.2-7.4 t/ha, whilst the hybrids were closer to 7.4-8.6 t/ha.
Quality

Specific weights this year have averaged 65 kg/hl in England and Wales and slightly lower in Scotland. Grain nitrogen contents are estimated to average 1.6-1.7%. Screenings (2.25 mm) have been variable across the country, ranging from an average of 2% in the Eastern region to 6% in Yorkshire and Humber, with occasional higher reports in parts of Scotland.

Spring barley harvest started in earnest in the first week of August. This is about a week earlier than most recent harvests.

As of September 11, the harvest of spring barley had been 80% complete. Harvest is almost complete in England and Wales, with 95% of the total area harvested to date, and harvest progress remains ahead of the five-year average. Harvest in Scotland also remains ahead of the five-year average at 65% complete.

The current estimated national average yield is 6.0-6.3 t/ha, which is above the 10-year average yield of 5.4 t/ha. In England and Wales, yields range from 4.2-9.5 t/ha, with lower yields from crops grown on heavier land that suffered from poor rooting or waterlogging.

Lighter land has tended to yield better than heavier land, with yields of above 7.0 t/ha reported on light soil types.

Quality of most samples harvested to date has been good, although there are signs of a reduction in quality of some later harvested crops in the English region due to rain delaying harvest.

12 September, 2014