Harvest Results – 26th July 2016

Harvest results have started to come in from AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials. Trials in North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Suffolk have reported their results.

With only three winter barley results in so far, it is too early to get a full picture of variety performance, says AHDB. The overall yield average of 8.85t/ha for 2016 is however down on the five year average of 9.32t/ha. Looking at the annual trends, the average yield is lower than we have seen in 2014 and 2015, but up on 2012 and 2013.

 Calculating yield results

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2016, Cassata, Volume, KWS Meridian, SY Venture and KWS Glacier are the control varieties and the average of the yields from these varieties is represented as 100%. The 2016 values only show yields based on one season from three sites. As more information becomes available, the five-year average is a better measure of their performance over the past five seasons (2012 – 2016).

First 2016 winter barley yield results

In 2016, the six-row feed varieties top the yields with the six-row hybrids Belfry and Bazooka topping the yield table. KWS Meridian remains in trial as a six-row conventional variety control and has performed similarly to Volume at 106%. Candidate six-row varieties are also achieving good yields, with Sunningdale (six-row hybrid) at 107% and Funky (six-row conventional) at 106%

The two-row feed variety KWS Orwell (the highest yielding two-row on the current RL) has also achieved 106%, with Surge performing well at 104% in 2016.

Two-row malting varieties are judged more on their quality than outright yield. Based on this limited information, SY Venture has yielded 96%, Craft 94% and Talisman 94% in 2016.

 Using the five-year average

When selecting varieties for next season, the five-year average values give a better representation of performance in different seasons. Looking at the five-year averages, Bazooka tops the RL variety yield at 109% for six-row hybrid. The two-row feed variety KWS Orwell achieves 104%, whilst KWS Glacier and KWS Infinity 103%.