Winter barley harvest yields from the first seven AHDB Recommended List trial sites are nearly one-third of a tonne/ha down on the five-year average.

Control varieties at sites in Devon, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire (two), Cheshire and North Yorkshire have averaged 9.37t/ha, which is below the five-year average of 9.69 t/ha.

See also: Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding winter barley varieties map

The 2022-23 season

The AHDB said that while the weather was quite variable over the winter and through spring, with some very mild wet and very dry spells, all trials emerged intact into the summer.

“Drought through May and June, with high temperatures in the second half of June, helped check disease, but probably limited yield potential on some sites.”

Variety performance

Six-row hybrids Thunderbolt (107%), Kingsbarn (111%), Bazooka (105%), Kingston (109%), Canyon (105%), Belfry (105%) and newly recommended Nephin (104%) are, with the exception of Canyon, all yielding at or above their five-year average.

The newly recommended, high-yielding two-row variety Caravelle is averaging 105%, but is being outperformed at this stage by Lightning (106%), which is having a good 2023, according to the AHDB.

Newly recommended two-row Bolivia (100%) continue to disappoint in 2023, yielding below its five-year average.

Other two-row feed varieties are Tardis (103%), Bordeaux (101%) and Bolton (102%), while Dazzle is having a good 2023 so far (103%).

Barley yellow dwarf virus-tolerant six-row conventional Feeris is yielding below its five-year average (98%) at this stage.