Harvest Results continue to show above-average winter barley yields

Harvest Results from six AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) winter barley trials sites (Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Glamorgan, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders) have been published to date (31 July 2019). The average treated yield of control varieties (10.86 t/ha) is currently ahead of the five-year average (10.13 t/ha), reports AHDB.

Information on untreated yields from three sites (Hampshire, Lincolnshire, and North Yorkshire) is now also available. The average untreated yield from the controls is 7.84t/ha, which is behind the five-year average of 8.05t/ha. 2019 averages Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties.

In 2019, the control varieties comprise two malting varieties, SY Venture and Craft, the six-row hybrid variety Bazooka, the six-row conventional variety Funky and the two-row feed variety KWS Orwell. The average of the yields from these varieties is represented as 100%. The current 2019 values only show yields based on one season from six sites.

In 2019, the six-row hybrid varieties SY Baracooda (109%), SY Kingsbarn (109%) and Sunningdale (105%) are performing well. The yields of the six-row conventional feed varieties are Funky (105%) and KWS Astaire (106%). KWS Gimlet (107%) and LG Mountain (105%) are showing the best yields so far in 2019 for the two-row feed varieties. These varieties were both new to the 2019/20 Recommended List. Two-row malting varieties are judged more on their quality than outright yield. Currently, the average yields of the fully approved malting varieties are Craft (97%) and SY Venture (91%). The provisionally approved variety Electrum has a yield of 98%.

2015–19 (five-year) averages

The five-year average values provide a better representation of performance across seasons.

The six-row hybrids SY Baracooda (108%), Belmont (108%) and SY Kingsbarn (108%) are performing well on yield. The yield performance of the six-row conventional feed varieties is KWS Astaire (105%) and Funky (104%).

For the two-row feeds, KWS Gimlet (104%), LG Mountain (103%), KWS Orwell (102%) and LG Flynn (102%) have produced the highest yields.

Five-year average results also provide a better measure of candidate varieties. Results can only be published when varieties have completed national listing. The candidate six-row hybrid varieties are achieving similar yields to recommended varieties in the five-year average figures, with SY Melbourne at 108% and SY Kingston at 107%. The candidate two-row feed varieties KWS Hawking (105%), Jordan (103%) and KWS Patriot (103%) are performing well. The candidate two-row malting varieties Fay and Zophia both have a five-year average yield of 96%.

As more information becomes available, a clearer pattern of variety performance in 2019 will form, concludes AHDB.