Farmer views: average yields expected and uncertainty ahead for harvest

“The tillage is going well in our corner of the country. Disease hasn’t been an issue really.

“The wheats are very good; we thought we would have been in trouble, but they are holding. We are out by the sea, so we have plenty of septoria but it’s under control.

“I am hoping that the harvest will start around the middle of July. The winter barley is looking very well. The grains are filling nicely and there is a heavy crop in it. We won’t know what yield will be like until the combine gets going. It could look very good on the ground, but it could be a poor yield in the end.”

“I have noticed there are a good few gaps across the fields. The headlands are poor in most fields but the main body of the fields look good. We are getting ideal weather for yield because of the slow ripening. Last year we were cutting corn in the last days of June which was unheard of.”

“We are gone past the disease problems now. The wheat is suffering from a bit of septoria. I think the harvest will start this year around 10 July.

“We are in an early part of the country for harvesting crops.

“The body of the field will give a good yield but counting every acre of the field it will be an average enough yield.

“A good price could solve a lot of issues but with a price of €180/t we are not at anything.”

“The crops are looking up and down. Winter barley, winter wheat, winter oats, maize, beet and oilseed rape are all looking good at the minute.

“The spring barley is mixed, as well as the beans, as they were set early into average conditions. Some of it is good and some bad.

“There is no disease in the crops really this week. They are looking very clean. The beans are after getting one fungicide of Cobalt and the next fungicide is due now. All the barley is after its T1 and it is due the T2 next week.

“Harvest will depend this year on the weather we get over the next month. We should be starting around the middle of July. The yield will be the middle of the road. There are too many blank patches in the winter crops.

“The spring barley also took a knock in the last number of weeks, so the yield will be down.”

“The crops are looking a bit like everyone’s with the poor headlands and yellowing in places. I will get the last spray out at the weekend and close the gates then.

“With the late sowing date and headlands looking poor in places, the yield doesn’t look like it will be super. It will be average at best and there is still a long way to go before harvest.

“The bit of winter barley should kick off the harvest in the middle of July, depending on the weather of course.”

“We have all malting barley this year. It is looking good, but we had a very late planting around 23 April.

“The crop is about to head in the next week or so.

“I have noticed there is a bit of compaction around the headlands, but weeds and disease haven’t been an issue so far. It got a spray of fungicide, Decoy, in early June and magnesium was sprayed on at the same time.

“The ground would be wet around us.

“The crops are promising; we should get around 3t/ac which will be a good enough yield for the year that we had and with such a late start.”

“I’m happy with my crops so far this year. We had no disease issues out of the ordinary.

“We got the winter barley into the ground on time, but the spring barley ran late on us.

“It has been doing well over the last few weeks. I have just finished spraying for this year. The spring barley is done now; the awns are well out on it.

“The middle of July should see the start of harvest, all going well. The winter barley could be harvested around 10 July.

“I won’t be doing the straw chopping this year. There is a good market for straw, and I have good customers to look after.”