East Co. Down cereal grower, Allan Chambers, is confirming a yield of 4.8t/ac from the first of his 2024 winter barley crops. Moisture levels are at 19% with bushel weights averaging 68kg/HL.
Allan has 200ac of barley to cut over the coming days.
“And it’s all looking very well,” he told Agriland.
“We only grow six-row hybrid varieties. For the most part, this year’s winter barley followed crops of winter wheat. We have one field completely harvested and the headlands combined in another four.
“This is the second best barley yield value ever recorded on the farm, coming in slightly behind the crop performance recorded in 2015.
“Year-on-year, our barley yields are up by approximately 1t/ac. Our average winter barley output for the past three years is 3.75t/ac.”
Conditions for winter barley in the north
The Downpatrick-based farmer is attributing the excellent yields achieved this year to the cool and damp conditions that were a feature of the spring months.
“This then allowed grain fill to take place over a longer period of time,” he further explained.
“We farm on light, dry land. All of the 2023/2024 barley crops were planted out in good conditions at the end of September last year. They established well and came through the winter and spring period in excellent condition.”
Allan is also confirming excellent straw yields. “Demand for straw is very strong and the market is likely to reflect this trend over the coming months,” he continued.
“A standard 4X4 bale is making a minimum price, ex-field, of £30 at the present time.”
Turning to other crops, Allan confirmed that his 250ac of winter wheat is also looking well.
“Grain fill is now complete. We should be harvesting this year’s wheat by the third week in August, weather permitting.
“The heads are that heavy that many of the plants are starting to bend over. But this is not a bad thing; it bodes well for a good harvest in a few weeks’ time.”
Allan is very aware that keeping septoria at bay can be a major challenge with winter wheat.
“We sprayed regularly to keep the disease out of the crops throughout the growing season,” he explained. “But this comes at a cost – £60/ac each time a fungicide is applied.
“There might be some septoria in the wheat now. I am not sure; it’s hard to discern the difference between natural crop senescence and the impact of disease at this time of the year.
“But by this stage the wheat will have reached its full yield potential,” he concluded.
