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Harvest 2017 got under way in earnest over the past week, with farmers now cutting winter barley from Cork to Donegal, and some oat and winter rape crops are also being cut.
Yields are quite variable, ranging from 2.5t/ac to 4.4t/ac, with the best yields reported from either six-row hybrids, fresh tillage ground or well-managed fields.
In Wexford, farmers describe both yields and quality of winter barley as “ordinary”.
Many yields are in the range 3.25t/ac to 3.75t/ac, with the odd crop of Cassia doing 4t/ac.
Some crops have been slow to ripen fully, with straw sappy and green heads in tramlines and headlands.
Winter oat crops look good, and there are hopes that spring crops will be above average.
In south Tipperary, Cassia winter barley yielded up to 4.1t/ac at 15% and 68.1KPH on fresh ground, while Tower, cut at 15% to 17% moisture, yielded over 4t/ac at 66KPH to 67KPH.
Husky oats
The first Husky oats cut by Coolmore yielded 3.8t/ac at 16% moisture and 57KPH.
In Co Kilkenny, yields have been extremely variable.
Paddy Barry of Danesfort reported a winter barley yield of 4.3t/ac at 71KPH and 16% moisture, while Tim Sherman reported that Tower yields were back 0.25t/ac to 0.5t/ac on last year at 3.5t/ac.
“It’s looked a mighty crop, but it disappointed. The grain just didn’t fill. I don’t know why. It’s on high P and K land and even got an extra spray so it should be better,” Sherman said. “The spring barley is looking much better though.”
In Co Laois, Tower yields of 4t/ac have been reported, at 15% moisture and 68KPH.
In Louth, Teagasc tillage advisor Conor Dobson reported variable yields of 3.4-3.7t/ac in the main, with some crops doing 4t/ac.
Donegal
Moving to Donegal, Peter Lynch said his first field of Glacier did not do well due to soil compaction, recording 3.2t/ac at 16% moisture.
Steven Robb said Cassia is yielding 3-3.5t/ac at 67KPH, but the best of the crop is still to come.
In north Cork, two-row winter barley has averaged 3.6t/ac at 17% to 19% moisture on some good fields. Similar yield levels are reported from east and south Cork, with some higher yields on really good fields.
The national situation must be described as disappointing, with quite a number of winter barley crops under 3t/ac, with some poor quality grain.
Early winter rape crops are doing well, with in excess of 1.8t/ac reported at 10% to 11% moisture.
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