Clara, Co Kilkenny
John Phelan: The first field he opened was 9.8% moisture, he decided to keep going.
Winter barley
Having started and finished his winter barley harvest in record time, John was reasonably happy with how his crops preformed despite the estimated 0.5t/ac yield reduction on last year.
Soil type was a key determinant on how the crop preformed. The crops on light ground didn’t do as well as expected, but crops on heavier ground performed much better. Around two-thirds of his crop is hybrid six rows while the remaining is conventional two row varieties. While there wasn’t much difference in performance between to two, John did see the KPH’s and straw yields were slightly better on the two row crops. Winter barley was finished on 12 July.
Yield: 3.8-3.9 t/ac. Moisture: 14%.Bushel: 67KPH.Winter oats:
John had a small amount of winter oats to harvest this year and both grain and straw yields were back slightly. While yields were down, quality was very good and moisture low. John also estimates that oat yields were back around 0.5t/ac on last year. Oats were finished by 13 July.
Yield: 3.2 t/ac. Moisture: 15%. Bushel: 55 KPH.
Winter oilseed rape
John was expecting to have a break between harvesting his oats and winter oilseed rape, but having opened a field at 9.8% moisture, he decided to keep going. As a result, the harvest was finished on 19 July.
“This was the earliest by far that we have ever cut OSR,” explains John. Crops on light ground didn’t perform well but he was still commanded a respectable average yield. Like many growers across the county, the oilseed rape straw will be baled as opposed to being chopped.
Yield: 1.8 t/ac. Moisture: 9.0%.Bodal farm, Co Kilkenny
Charlie Farrell harvesting Winter Oats in Bodal Farm.
Winter barley
While Charlie is happy with is crop yields, he estimates his barley straw yield is back around 10% on last year due to the tough spring and subsequent drought conditions.
"I'm happy enough with the grain yield because of how the crop looked all year, but the straw is back," Charlie commented. The harvest was finished in record time on 10 July.
Yield: 3.5 t/ac. Moisture: 16%.
Winter oats
Oaten straw yields are also back back for Charlie, but the quality was very good. This is a key attribute that Charlie looks for in his straw as it is sold into the horse industry. The crop looked good all year and this year he didn’t bother with a pre-harvest application of Roundup. The grain's yield was reasonably good and will all be sold to Redmills as feed.
Yield: 3.3 t/ac. Moisture: 15%.Hollymount, Co Mayo
Jarlath Colleran harvesting Cassia winter barley in Hollymount Mayo.
Winter barley
Before the closing of the local sugar factory there was a high number of farmers growing cereals and beet in Mayo explains Jarlath. However, now it’s confined to just a small number of growers but Jarlath believes there may be opportunity to expand his acreage after the high demand for straw and grain in the area this year.
Last Saturday, Jarlath harvested his Cassia winter barley crop. "I was slightly disappointed with the grain yield this year compared to 2017 where I averaged 3.75t/ac," he said. Interestingly, the harvest is necessarily early in this part of Mayo as the winter barley harvest commenced around the same time last year.
Straw yields were very good explains Jarlath, averaging around a dozen 4x4 round bales per acre. Demand is exceptionally high.
Yield: 3.1 t/ac. Moisture: 16-17%. Athy, Co Kildare
Jeremy O'Toole along with his harvests crew harvesting Barra winter oats in Athy Co Kildare for Glanbia.
Glanbia gluten free oats
The gluten free oats harvest is now virtually complete and Maria O’Toole is happy with their performance: “Bushels are excellent, there was some concern about the quality at the start but the weather didn’t seem to effect the quality.”
The Irish Farmers Journal also sat in with Jeremy O'Toole when he was harvesting a field of Barra oats outside Athy. Jeremy, along with his harvest crew, harvests the gluten free and food grade oats with a custom Class Lexion 550 combine and Class Lexion 650 combine.
“We’ve had a great run at the harvest this year” explained Jeremy. Average yields are slightly below the five-year average of 3.35t/ac. Crops on light, sandy soil were the first to burn, leading to lower yields and bringing the average down. "
As the harvest progresses and they continue to harvest the food grade oats, Maria expects to see the average yield increase as these are predominately sown on heavier ground. Straw yields were reasonable and average screening was relatively low.
Yield: 3.2 t/ac.
Moisture: 13-14%.
Bushel: 55-59 KPH.
Ladyrath, Co Meath
Eamonn and Thomas Cogan harvesting winter barley last Thursday.
Having started the winter barley harvest on 10 July and having enjoyed a great run of harvest weather since, the winter barley harvest was completed with ease this year. Growing a combination of Bazooka, Belfry and Cassia, the crops looked reasonable all year, despite the challenging weather conditions.
“The crops stuck out the conditions very well, the heavy Meath ground seems to have paid off this year” explains Eamonn.
Eamonn is pictured harvesting a crop of winter barley which was sown on 1 November following a crop of winter wheat. Disease pressure has been low all year. The ground was very wet earlier in the year, as was evident by the depth of the tramlines, but field conditions were immaculate at the time of harvest.
Straw yields were also exceptional, averaging around 13 4x4 bales to the acre. Straw is generally green after harvest so the crop is left for a number of days to dry out before baling.
Yield: 4.1 t/ac. Moisture: 14-17%. Bushel: 63-64 KPH.Conna, Co Cork
John Miller pictured harvesting 40 acres of Planet Spring. Photo: Donal O' Leary
John was among the first in the country to harvest spring barley. The crop of Planet malting barley was sown in February before the Beast from the East arrived.
The ground received a heavy application of pig slurry, which according to John, has helped the crop survive the worst the drought. However, protein levels were very low, in part due to the high yield.
Yield: 3.4 t/ac. Moisture: 15-17%. Bushel: 68 KPH. Protein: 8.5% Read more
International grain markets: mixed market movements over past seven days
Harvest18: winter barley wrapping up as focus moves to oats
Clara, Co Kilkenny
John Phelan: The first field he opened was 9.8% moisture, he decided to keep going.
Winter barley
Having started and finished his winter barley harvest in record time, John was reasonably happy with how his crops preformed despite the estimated 0.5t/ac yield reduction on last year.
Soil type was a key determinant on how the crop preformed. The crops on light ground didn’t do as well as expected, but crops on heavier ground performed much better. Around two-thirds of his crop is hybrid six rows while the remaining is conventional two row varieties. While there wasn’t much difference in performance between to two, John did see the KPH’s and straw yields were slightly better on the two row crops. Winter barley was finished on 12 July.
Yield: 3.8-3.9 t/ac. Moisture: 14%.Bushel: 67KPH.Winter oats:
John had a small amount of winter oats to harvest this year and both grain and straw yields were back slightly. While yields were down, quality was very good and moisture low. John also estimates that oat yields were back around 0.5t/ac on last year. Oats were finished by 13 July.
Yield: 3.2 t/ac. Moisture: 15%. Bushel: 55 KPH.
Winter oilseed rape
John was expecting to have a break between harvesting his oats and winter oilseed rape, but having opened a field at 9.8% moisture, he decided to keep going. As a result, the harvest was finished on 19 July.
“This was the earliest by far that we have ever cut OSR,” explains John. Crops on light ground didn’t perform well but he was still commanded a respectable average yield. Like many growers across the county, the oilseed rape straw will be baled as opposed to being chopped.
Yield: 1.8 t/ac. Moisture: 9.0%.Bodal farm, Co Kilkenny
Charlie Farrell harvesting Winter Oats in Bodal Farm.
Winter barley
While Charlie is happy with is crop yields, he estimates his barley straw yield is back around 10% on last year due to the tough spring and subsequent drought conditions.
"I'm happy enough with the grain yield because of how the crop looked all year, but the straw is back," Charlie commented. The harvest was finished in record time on 10 July.
Yield: 3.5 t/ac. Moisture: 16%.
Winter oats
Oaten straw yields are also back back for Charlie, but the quality was very good. This is a key attribute that Charlie looks for in his straw as it is sold into the horse industry. The crop looked good all year and this year he didn’t bother with a pre-harvest application of Roundup. The grain's yield was reasonably good and will all be sold to Redmills as feed.
Yield: 3.3 t/ac. Moisture: 15%.Hollymount, Co Mayo
Jarlath Colleran harvesting Cassia winter barley in Hollymount Mayo.
Winter barley
Before the closing of the local sugar factory there was a high number of farmers growing cereals and beet in Mayo explains Jarlath. However, now it’s confined to just a small number of growers but Jarlath believes there may be opportunity to expand his acreage after the high demand for straw and grain in the area this year.
Last Saturday, Jarlath harvested his Cassia winter barley crop. "I was slightly disappointed with the grain yield this year compared to 2017 where I averaged 3.75t/ac," he said. Interestingly, the harvest is necessarily early in this part of Mayo as the winter barley harvest commenced around the same time last year.
Straw yields were very good explains Jarlath, averaging around a dozen 4x4 round bales per acre. Demand is exceptionally high.
Yield: 3.1 t/ac. Moisture: 16-17%. Athy, Co Kildare
Jeremy O'Toole along with his harvests crew harvesting Barra winter oats in Athy Co Kildare for Glanbia.
Glanbia gluten free oats
The gluten free oats harvest is now virtually complete and Maria O’Toole is happy with their performance: “Bushels are excellent, there was some concern about the quality at the start but the weather didn’t seem to effect the quality.”
The Irish Farmers Journal also sat in with Jeremy O'Toole when he was harvesting a field of Barra oats outside Athy. Jeremy, along with his harvest crew, harvests the gluten free and food grade oats with a custom Class Lexion 550 combine and Class Lexion 650 combine.
“We’ve had a great run at the harvest this year” explained Jeremy. Average yields are slightly below the five-year average of 3.35t/ac. Crops on light, sandy soil were the first to burn, leading to lower yields and bringing the average down. "
As the harvest progresses and they continue to harvest the food grade oats, Maria expects to see the average yield increase as these are predominately sown on heavier ground. Straw yields were reasonable and average screening was relatively low.
Yield: 3.2 t/ac.
Moisture: 13-14%.
Bushel: 55-59 KPH.
Ladyrath, Co Meath
Eamonn and Thomas Cogan harvesting winter barley last Thursday.
Having started the winter barley harvest on 10 July and having enjoyed a great run of harvest weather since, the winter barley harvest was completed with ease this year. Growing a combination of Bazooka, Belfry and Cassia, the crops looked reasonable all year, despite the challenging weather conditions.
“The crops stuck out the conditions very well, the heavy Meath ground seems to have paid off this year” explains Eamonn.
Eamonn is pictured harvesting a crop of winter barley which was sown on 1 November following a crop of winter wheat. Disease pressure has been low all year. The ground was very wet earlier in the year, as was evident by the depth of the tramlines, but field conditions were immaculate at the time of harvest.
Straw yields were also exceptional, averaging around 13 4x4 bales to the acre. Straw is generally green after harvest so the crop is left for a number of days to dry out before baling.
Yield: 4.1 t/ac. Moisture: 14-17%. Bushel: 63-64 KPH.Conna, Co Cork
John Miller pictured harvesting 40 acres of Planet Spring. Photo: Donal O' Leary
John was among the first in the country to harvest spring barley. The crop of Planet malting barley was sown in February before the Beast from the East arrived.
The ground received a heavy application of pig slurry, which according to John, has helped the crop survive the worst the drought. However, protein levels were very low, in part due to the high yield.
Yield: 3.4 t/ac. Moisture: 15-17%. Bushel: 68 KPH. Protein: 8.5% Read more
International grain markets: mixed market movements over past seven days
Harvest18: winter barley wrapping up as focus moves to oats
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