Estonian winter barley harvest starts with strong yields
Many farmers have started harvesting winter barley. Yields are above average, but there are concerns about lodging in some areas and uneven ripening.
The largest grain growers in Järva County, Estonia OÜ and Väätsa Agro, began harvesting winter barley in the first half of the week. Work continued at full speed over the weekend because dry weather will not last long.
Väätsa Agro technical manager Argo Arras said from the combine that the current yield is 9.26 metric tons per hectare. He said this is a very good yield. Väätsa Agro agronomist Kert Kiis also noted that the harvest is good. "The field looks nice, there is a crop, the grain is already dry and fully ready for harvest," he said.
Estonia agronomist Toomas Printsmann said none of the barley fields produced less than seven metric tons per hectare, but none reached more than ten either.
Although the harvest is expected to be solid, getting it off the field comes with plenty of challenges.
"The crop is uneven. Some areas have lodged, some areas were tangled by rain. There has been a lot of precipitation, and there are some green kernels mixed in. The field looks quite patchy," Kiis said.
Printsmann also noted that the crop has not ripened evenly. "The wheel tracks stayed green. But we cannot wait for everything to ripen perfectly. The weather does not support uniform ripening," he said.
There is also a lot of lodged grain this year. "Summer storms, stronger thunderstorms and heavier rain showers have knocked down a lot of the crop," Printsmann said.
--
Editor: Valner Väino, Argo Ideon
