No early harvest: With July upon us, it looks like we are headed to a normal or possibly even late start to the harvest. We know that it is dangerous to wish for rain in this country because when it comes it does not know when to stop. A quick scan of all the relevant Met weather stations tells me that most areas have received between 40% and 45% of normal annual average rainfall by the end of June. At the same point last year I know I was at less than 30% of my local average in north Kildare and we know when the balance fell.

There is still life in much of our winter barley and the cooler weather is allowing it to complete grain fill nice and slowly. Hopefully this will mean well-filled grains, big grain size and high specific weights when harvest comes. Harvest is still a week or two away for most people and for many the start could be the last week in July.

Frost damage: There are signs of the consequences of the May frosts in crops in parts of the country. They seem to be confined to the north Leinster region but perhaps are elsewhere too, but not recognised. The symptom in barley is blank grain sites, which are generally adjacent along the ear – sometimes the grain opposite can be gone too.

On wheat the symptom is different in that the frost takes out a section of the ear so all florets and spikelets cease to develop after they have been hit. The result is generally a normal base to the ear with the damage above it blank and looking more like a rat’s tail. On oats, frost damage is generally blank or blasted grain sites at the base of the panicle, which formed initially but then failed to develop further. However, this could also be a result of stress or lack of nutrition or some other resource at the same critical stage, resulting in the plant itself aborting those grains.

All plants are relatively susceptible to frost damage during late ear development and especially during flowering. The problem is rarely an issue in spring-sown crops but might often be seen in winter barley. It can be seen in winter wheat once every one or two decades. The risk may have been greater in the past as it would have been given as a significant reason to avoid very early sowing here. Frost at earing out is seen a major risk to crops in some parts of the world every year.

Beans: Crops have responded well to recent moisture but some of those that were hit by drought suffered a lot of late pod abortion. There are very few pods per plant on these crops and all on a very tight section of the stem. Flowering is largely finished so recovery is unlikely, and some crops just do not have enough pods to yield well. Crops are carrying their pods reasonably high on the stem and this should help prevent losses at harvest.

OSR: Desiccation is getting closer and some crops may be sprayed this week. Avoid spraying too soon as crops are maturing slowly. There are indications that seed colour may be changing faster than pod colour so check your crops.