UK winter crop yields below average, apart from barley

While many varieties used in the UK may be different to those used on Irish soils, it is interesting to see how crop yields looked across the water.

The recommended list trials in the UK have shown a drop in the yield of winter wheat. The control varieties yielded 0.64t/ha less than the five-year average.

Winter wheat yields across Europe have declined this season.

The five-year average from the trial data is 11.27t/ha. However, this season the average yield across the study was 10.63t/ha.

The trials are scattered over a large area from Lincolnshire to the Scottish Borders to Essex. Early reports from the harvest suggested that yields were coming in above average, but as the season progressed the story changed.

Winter barley

Winter barley yields from the recommended list trials were showing average figures of 10.09t/ha (from the control varieties). This is above the five-year average of 9.9t/ha.

Winter oilseed rape

Average yields from the control varieties in the oilseed rape trials came in at 5.12t/ha. This is 0.32t/ha below the four-year average.

However, the AHDB reported that sites in Kent, Hampshire and Suffolk pulled down the average, while the sites in Lincolnshire, Midlothian and Shropshire were above the average.

For more information on the UK harvest check out AgriLand UK.