UK winter wheat harvest: lower yields but higher protein
Winter wheat yields from the UK harvest combined so far are showing disappointing yields but good protein levels.
The winter wheat harvest toward the end of July was around 11% complete – ahead of the last 2 years but at a similar level to 2022. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said early yields were 11% down on the 5-year (2020-4) average in the UK, at 6.9 t/ha with significant variations in yields across the regions.
But while yields have been lower, protein contents have been at 14% for higher from samples processed so far, compared to 12.5% last year.
Winter rapeseed
Over half the winter rapeseed harvest is complete (54%) but this is lower than last year when 73% of the crop had been harvested by this point. However, yields across the country, bar Wales, are higher than both last year and the 5-year average at 3.76 t/ha – more than one-fifth above the 5-year average.
The largest increases are seen in the eastern region, which has seen yields at nearly 40% above the 5-year average. Quality of the oilseed rape is also good with oil content averaging at around 45%, said the AHDB.
Barley
The winter barley harvest is nearly complete except in Scotland and Northern Ireland and the spring barley and pulse harvests are now underway but at an early stage. Yields of winter barley have been highly variable ranging from 4.7 t/ha to 8.3 t/ha, but generally in line with the 5-year average at 6.7 t/ha.
Moisture a limiting factor
While the summer in the UK has been very dry, rainfall over the last 2 weeks or so have led some growers to cut crops at higher moistures where wet weather is likely to impact quality or yield.
Generally, moisture has been the limiting factor this season, with those on lighter soils seeing poorer yields, while those on heavier, moisture retentive soils have fared better. Straw yields are highly variable depending on the level of moisture available to the crop during stem extension.
Commenting on the current state of the harvest, Helen Plant, senior cereals analyst at AHDB, said: “There’s no clear picture of UK yields at this point. The picture is mixed, with different results across the country. So far, oilseed rape and winter barley yields are encouraging, while early winter wheat yields are below average.”
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