The overall 2016 harvest yield average for winter barley is under the five-year average, according to AHDB Cereals.
A total of seven trials in Devon, Hereford, North and East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have reported their results.
The overall yield average of 8.79t/ha for 2016 is below the five-year average of 9.30t/ha.
Looking at the annual trends, the average yield remains lower than farmers have seen in 2014 and 2015, but up on 2012 and 2013.
Six-row varieties are achieving good yields in early results
Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties, which this year are Cassata, Volume, KWS Meridian, SY Venture and KWS Glacier.
The average of the yields from these varieties is represented as 100%.
The 2016 values only show yields based on one season from seven sites.
The five-year average is a better measure of variety performance over the past five seasons (2012–2016).
In 2016 so far, the six-row feed varieties top the yields. Six-row hybrids Belfry and Bazooka top the yield table with 113% of the control varieties, with Volume also performing well at 107%.
KWS Meridian remains in trial as a six-row conventional variety control and has performed well at 109%.
Candidate six-row varieties are also achieving good yields, with Sunningdale (six-row hybrid) at 110% and Funky (six-row conventional) at 106%
The two-row feed variety Surge is currently top of the two-rows at 105% in the 2016 harvest results, while KWS Orwell (the highest yielding two-row on the current RL) is close behind at 104%.
Two-row malting varieties are judged more on their quality than outright yield.
Based on current information, Craft has yield 97%, SY Venture 93% and Talisman 92% in 2016.
Using the five-year average
When selecting varieties for next season, the five-year average values give farmers a better representation of performance across seasons.
Looking at the five-year averages, Bazooka tops the RL yield at 110% and Belfry at 108% for six-row hybrids.
The two-row feed variety KWS Orwell achieves 104%, while KWS Glacier, KWS Tower and KWS Infinity achieves 102%.
