More winter barley was cut over the weekend and a start was made on some oat crops. Harvest 2020 is well underway for some farmers.
Harvesting is now in full swing in many areas, but there is still plenty of winter barley to be cut, much of which won’t be ready until the middle of this week and over the weekend.
So far yields are extremely variable. For the most part, the best of the crops appear to be in the south of the country.
Winter barley crops look to be best in Co. Cork and in south Tipperary. Reports have hit as far as 4.5t/ac on six-row hybrid varieties, while a number of crops have come in over 4t/ac, with 4.1t/ac and 4.2t/ac being reported to AgriLand in that area from six-row varieties at 20% moisture content.
KPH readings were reported to be at 65 and 66.
There are also crops coming in under 4t/ac. The year was variable, but counties Cork, Waterford and Tipperary seem to be coming out the best from a tough season.
However, some KPH readings were reported to be coming in low – from the low to high 50s. Drought was no doubt a major contributor to this.
Other crops in the area did go over the 4t/ac mark and hit KPH readings in the mid 60s.
In Kildare, Bazooka was reported to AgriLand of making a yield of 3.4-3.5t/ac at 17-18% moisture and a KPH of 67.
There are other reports of crops doing less than 3t/ac in counties Laois and Kildare with KPH figures in the lower end of the 60s. One crop of Valerie winter barley was reported to AgriLand with a yield of 3.25t/ac at 18% moisture content and a KPH of 69.
Winter malting barley
Some of the winter malt varieties have been coming in around the 3t/ac mark with KPH readings of 62 and 63, but protein has been letting some farmers down as some samples have been reported to AgriLand with protein contents of 13% and 14%.
Winter oats
Early reports of winter oats show crops coming in under 2.5t/ac, but these crops would have been severely affected by the drought. Despite the yield, quality is reported to be good.
Straw
Straw yield is reported to be back, but a clear picture will only develop as more crops are cut and baled.