Demand for as much as 20,000ha additional spring barley seed is likely to push the requirement for certified spring barley seed beyond what is currently available from Irish supply.

The additional acres arise because a big proportion of other spring crops like beans, wheat and oats now seem unlikely to be planted due to bad weather conditions. And there is also the ground that was not planted to winter crops last autumn.

Ireland began 2018 with an estimated 21,000t of certified spring barley seed, enough to plant over 120,000ha at 190kg/ha.

In recent years, this was more than adequate for spring barley sowings, but this year there is well over 10,000ha which was not planted last winter and perhaps over 10,000ha which will now be diverted from spring beans, wheat and oats.

As things stand, there will not be sufficient barley seed to plant all of this additional area. While some of these hectares will be diverted to fodder crops such as maize and fodder beet and possibly some left fallow, their combined increases in area is very unlikely to hit 10,000ha.

This could leave a seed supply deficit of up to 10%.

Ireland needs to be very careful about sources from which we would import seed.

Ireland is not the only country suffering these planting problems and there is additional demand across much of northern European. Growers who want barley seed are advised to contact merchants immediately because imports take time to secure.

A derogation on the three-crop rule may make this situation worse. The demand for straw is likely to drive acres into barley if seed is available.

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Know your crop options for spring 2018