The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) has confirmed a wide variation in UK crop performance levels.
This is the continuation of a trend that was apparent form the very beginning of the 2023/24 growing season.
The percentage of the Great Britain winter barley crop rated as either good or excellent is 69%. This is up from the 62% figure for June, but down from 84% one year ago.
The winter barley crop is starting to turn golden, so sunshine would be welcomed for this crop now to swell the emerging grain. It has coped with the poor winter weather conditions well and some farms appear to have big yields in the ear.
Winter barley was more established last autumn when the deluges began, so had a greater resilience than the majority of wheat crops. Even in the worst hit regions of the midlands, many fields are looking comparatively strong.
Spring barley
Across all regions of the UK, 71% of spring barley is now classified as either good or excellent, up from 55% last month. This is also a higher proportion than the same point last year, when just 53% was rated as in good or excellent condition.
The last two months have provided excellent growing conditions on the whole and flag leaves are now emerging.
Short of the need for sunshine, spring crops – including barley – could offer the best of a very difficult year for combinable cropping in the UK.
Oats
Overall, the UK oat crop is looking well and strong, especially spring crops, although some look rather stressed following the heavy rain, for example in Scotland.
Across England, Scotland and Wales (GB), 57% of winter oats are rated as good or excellent, up from 52% last month, but this is still well below the 74% rating figure recorded a year ago.
For spring oats, the combined good or excellent rating is 77% across all regions, up from 73% last month. A year ago, 69% of spring oats were rated good or excellent.
Oilseed rape
The national rating for winter oilseed rape (OSR) is 54% as either good or excellent, up from the 49% last month – but it is still below last year’s 63%.
OSR is now in the process of ripening, and some desiccation has already taken place. Gaps in fields may have been filled with weeds so cleaning might be required ahead of harvest.
