Advice on growing spring barley for harvest 2020

All signs are pointing to a significant rise in the spring barley area in 2020, with it likely to be the crop of choice for many growers where late-drilled winter wheat or spring wheat is not an option.

Strutt & Parker’s Crop Production Focus Group, part of the Farming Department, has produced a short guide which covers the main financial and agronomic considerations for growers this season – highlighting how to avoid some common mistakes.

The guide covers aspects like how much spring barley it might be sensible to drill, what are the implications for the following crops, variety choice and seed rates.

It also details how best to manage the crop to maximise yields and reduce the risk of lodging,

The goal should be to manage this season’s crops as well as possible to minimise the financial losses that are likely to occur and to limit potential damage to the rotation carrying on into harvest 2021.

As such, it will be important to keep focussed and grow the best performing crops, to take full advantage of any market price increases that may occur in the volatile months ahead.