UK: About 68% of winter barley and 74% of spring barley crops in good to excellent condition

About 68% of UK’s winter barley crops are in good to excellent condition, with the strongest crops in the West Midlands and north-east of England, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds report showed.

In contrast, Yorkshire and the Humber rated just 48% of winter barley at the highest condition levels, with 50% reported as fair. Weed, pest and disease pressure is generally low, although there are pockets of blackgrass and rhynchosporium, the AHDB said.

The majority of the spring crop was planted between March and April, with activity carrying on into May in Scotland, parts of the North West and the West Midlands.

Recent rainfall has boosted growth and almost three-quarters (74%) of spring barley crops are good to excellent. Crops in the eastern region are at 94% good to excellent, compared with just 55% of Scottish spring barley.

Disease pressure is low overall, although Yorkshire has seen the highest levels of rhynchosporium infection for many years.

Charlie Whitmarsh, crop production director for grain market specialist Frontier, urged caution in pinning too much certainty on estimates in a difficult year.

The up-and-down weather pattern could yet change things.

Crops are behind due to a cold period in late spring. Barley and wheat are about 10 days later than average, and there could yet be a spell of hot weather changing conditions again, Mr Whitmarsh suggested.

There is a lot riding on how barley and wheat crops will finish, and it remains to be seen how yields and specific weights will have been affected by a turbulent growing season, he concluded.

16 July, 2021