Harvest 2024

The 2024 harvest has been a stop/ start affair so far, with spring barley and oats are just fit while some crops of peas are still about a week to 10 days away from cutting. The winter wheat harvest is 50% complete, and a few fine days would get this wrapped up. While cereal yields so far have been back across the board, quality and moisture levels remain good.

In the coming days and week, focus on completing OSR sowing and herbicide applied pre-em preferably. An early OSR sowing is crucial for establishing a well-rooted crop going into the winter. A well established crop is better able to cope with a slug burden and pigeon grazing.For Mintilled crops, keep an eye on volunteers coming through, these should be controlled post emergence with a graminicide before they stunt the crop. 

As regards fertiliser, I would recommend that you put 50% of the phosphorous requirement into the seedbed, as it is mainly required for rooting, which will be complete very quickly. Fertiliser must spread before the 14th of September. Slug pellets should be spread on the surface a few days after sowing. A lot of damage can be done very quickly in a crop with only 20 or 30 plants per m2.

As August ends, begin planning for the 2025 season. 

For the season ahead there is a lot of interest in BYDV tollerant varieties of Barley. Varieties such as Orcade (2-row) and Joyou  (6-row) should be considered particularly if planning to drill around the end of September. In most parts of the country, we don't have the weather to delay sowing until mid October so we should look at the tools we have through plant breeding to help as chemistry cannot be fully relied on.

Grass weed control should be a priority in both barley and wheat. This needs to be done pre emergence or very early post. Bromes and grasses once established cannot be successfully controlled in Winter barley.