While new barley varieties struggle older ones shine

摘要

Older winter barley varieties seem to have come to the fore this year, with quality bearing up much better under the difficult growing conditions than newer strains. "There was massive aphid pressure in the autumn and early spring, with up to 25% losses in some winter barley crops," said Agrii agronomist David Neale. "Then we had drought followed by non-stop rain, which put a lot of pressure on the crop. There have been some poor reports on some of the hybrid varieties, particularly as you go further north, but the general picture is fair."