Smaller harvest of spring barley in Europe

Harvest of spring barley in Europe will be lower than 2009. Except for all the reduced areas, but Denmark, yield and quality will be very heterogen from the vantage point of the present. The wet spring in some regions and the heat during the last weeks stressed the plants.

Lower yields compared to the very good last year in nearly every region are expected. There are some concerns about screening. Protein is often low as well, sometimes too low. Due to the wet weather in spring, nitrogen was often washed out. The crop yields are highly dependent on the soil, barley was seeded.

In France plants are poor and the density of plantation not optimal. Dry weather after sowing decreases plant density. Dry and very hot weather during grain filling is likely to hamper grain size. Protein should be higher, screening well below the last two years. In UK the density of plantation is low and short due to cold and wet soil in March and April. Yields will be 10- 15 percent down on last year, quality is expected very variable. Regional lack of rain in the past weeks won´t be without effect on the plants. Results will be very variable. Good quality is expected as well. On the contrary to England, in Scotland plants had a normal development. Yields and quality are expected over average except of some regions in the South of Scotland. Density of plantation of barley in Ireland is good as well. Crop is still green with very good grain fill due to permanent precipitation. It was comfortable for yield and quality.

There is good news also from Denmark. The acreage for spring barley was extended caused by winter damage on the winter wheat. The current situation of the plants and the density of plantation were determined as good. Nevertheless the cold and wet spring left its marks. Plants on heavy soil let us expect a normal to good yield and acceptable qualities. On the weaker soils with no rain in the past weeks the results could be weaker. In Sweden specialist care about screening, if it will continue to be this hot. Here as well a cold and wet spring could have induced that only small amounts of nitrogen were released from the soil. A normal or a even better yield could occur if there would be a little bit more rain. In Finland crop prospect looks below average. Harvest begins end of August.

First projection says Germany will harvest 1.7 Mio t (2009: 2.2 Mio t ) of spring barley. Low protein and estimated screening of 84 percent in the average let expect a production of malting barley of 1.1 Mio t. This result is published by Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., Munich. Plants are healthy and will be harvested within the next days. First results of harvest show good yields from earlier soils low in protein and a good screening. Plants on heavier soils disappoint in screening and yield. Protein values are still acceptable.

The Netherlands care about heat and that plants could stop growing, if there isn´t any rain in the coming days. A poor harvest could be the result. Rainfalls over average in Austria support diseases. Net blotch disease appears often. Medium to low yields are expected.

Especially Eastern Europe suffered under the wet and cold spring and the heat afterwards. For example the root system of the plants was real weak because of the cold and wet weather conditions. This is also the case in the east of Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary. The plants showed a really weak process of growth caused by the heavy and wet soil. They suffer under the lack of oxygen in the soil and washed out minerals. On the other hand the plants ripened quickly under the heat. Very low yields under 3 t/ha and bad qualities are expected in Poland if high temperatures like this will persist. In the west of Czech Republic and in regions with dry weather and light soil the plants show better conditions. Lower acreage is responsible that the harvest in Czech Republic is expected to be smaller. Due to early and intensive heat small grain and a poor screening is expected. The protein content will be questionable as well. Harvest of spring barley just started in West Slovakia. Protein content is good between 9.5– 11.8 percent, screening between 65-85 percent. Hungary as well assumes a poor screening and therefore an average harvest.

There are no big problems with diseases this year, except of leaf diseases like net blotch in regions with big rain in spring.

D. Hofnagel