Harvest Results: Spring barley yields ahead of five-year average

Harvest Results from 14 AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) spring barley trials sites (Devon, Kent, East Lothian, Norfolk, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Cheshire, Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders, Fife, Highland, and Perth and Kinross) show that the average treated yield of control varieties (8.11 t/ha) is above the five-year average (7.61 t/ha).

2019 averages

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2019, the control varieties comprise five malting varieties: Concerto, Propino, KWS Irina, RGT Planet and Laureate.

Results for 2019 show the variety LG Diablo (106%) ahead of the control variety Laureate, and Cosmopolitan at 105% and the RAGT varieties RGT Planet and RGT Asteroid at 104%.

Of the 2019 Candidate varieties, the potential feed variety Fairway and the potential malting variety SY Splendor lead the way at 108%, although for malting varieties, quality is more important than outright yield. Potential malting varieties LG Furlong, Firefoxx and Prospect are just behind at 106%.

2015–19 (five-year) averages

The five-year average values (2015 to 2019) provide a better representation of performance across seasons.

Cosmopolitan and LG Diablo at 106% are just ahead of Laureate (104%), and RGT Planet and RGT Asteroid at 103%, with Chanson on 102%.

Five-year average results also provide a better measure of candidate varieties, says AHDB. Results can only be published when varieties have completed national listing. Of these, the candidate potential malting variety SY Splendor leads on yield at 107%, with potential malting varieties Firefoxx, SY Tungsten and LG Furlong at 106%, along with potential feed variety Fairway.