The UK’s maritime climate favours winter barley, with the crop consistently performing well here and producing high yields – some of the best in the world in fact.

For this reason, the winter barley area for the UK has remained relatively steady over the last few decades, but with economic pressures and a changing climate influencing planting conditions and disease pressures, the crop now finds itself under scrutiny with some growers.

Nevertheless, there are still some important benefits of growing winter barley in many rotations that should not be dismissed this season.

The benefits of a barley crop

First and foremost, barley remains the best entry into oilseed rape with it being an early-to-mature and low residue crop. And, with oilseed rape potentially seeing some resurgence after a strong season, more growers are being reminded of barley’s valuable role in delivering wide rotations on-farm this season.  Aside from this advantage though, barley is still a rewarding cropping option in its own right:

• Excellent yield

  • Barley adds welcome diversity to the rotation and delivers good yields, especially in the second cereal slot – sometimes with yields that challenge even the most impressive second wheats.

• Flexibility

  • Unlike wheat, barley doesn’t have a strict late sowing date – although the harvest timing, grain quality and yield would naturally be impacted the more into the winter months you go. Because of these flexible timings – and with it typically being the first crop to harvest – barley is therefore a good option for spreading workload across the season; offering a valuable window for cultivations.

• End markets - In terms of end use, the options are good and varied. There is a diverse range of premium markets for barley, including malting and distilling, and more specialist contracts for non-glycosidic nitrile (GN) and high diastatic power (HDP) types. Two-row feeds can be suitable for home feeding, and barley straw is a commodity in high demand. There may also be the opportunity to access additional private funding for carrying out sustainable crop production practices within your barley rotation.

• Supports IPM

  • For growers adopting an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, barley can be a great addition, particularly hybrid varieties which offer excellent grassweed suppression, high crop vigour and deep rooting.

• Development of improved genetics and traits – There has been significant investment in this area of the last couple of decades and growers are increasingly seeing the benefits of incorporating a hybrid variety in their rotation to boost barley yields in more challenging seasons thanks to more efficient nutrient use, deep rooting, greater above-ground biomass and ultimately higher yields than conventional barleys. New for 2025 are the hybrid varieties Inys and SY Quantock, both of which have shown great potential with impressive performance and disease scores in both official and Frontier trials this season. Inys will be of particular interest to growers looking for the best stem stiffness of any hybrid type, whilst on more marginal land, SY Quantock delivers very high yields coupled with high specific weights.

The introduction of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance and wheat dwarf virus (WDV) tolerance in the hybrid, SY Kestrel - the only winter barley to offer a true no-insecticide spray option -  will be especially useful for growers looking to drill as early as possible in BYDV hotspots across the UK.

Considerations for a successful crop

It’s not just about yield

Yield still remains the primary driver when it comes to growing barley and modern winter barley varieties have made significant strides in yield potential, thanks in part to breeders sharpening their focus on genetic gain. But, efficient productivity relies on a range of other factors too, including high specific weights and good scores for standing. In addition, selecting the right variety for the right conditions and ongoing management will ensure the crop reaches its full potential.

KWS Tardis and LG Caravelle remain the cornerstones of productive winter barley production – KWS Tardis delivering good on-farm yields backed by super stiff straw, and LG Caravelle performing extremely well in the 2025 season delivering the best combination of yield and specific weight.

New to farmers this season will be KWS Valencis, a Tardis progeny with strong yield potential and Kitty which is a standout variety for bold grain (72.7kg/hl) and stiff straw, as well as being the only variety on the Recommended List with built-in resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) strains 1 and 2.

What we learned in 2025 Frontier trials

2025 was a very challenging growing season which led to variability in variety performance across all regions of the UK, and even within farms.  It was the sunniest, warmest and driest spring on record (Met Office) and this led to a very early harvest, with all UK winter barley cut by early August.

The AHDB grower survey estimated yields across the UK to range between 4.09-8.27t/ha, with the average just 1% below the UK five-year winter barley average at 6.66t/ha and 4% below the 10-year winter barley average.  There was little to no lodging or brackling across the UK, and quality has been generally good for the crop, with high specific weights and low screening levels recorded. However, the nitrogen content is higher than average and will impact usability of the 2025 crop.

As in official trials, Frontier’s own research showed that the longer strawed hybrid barleys had a very strong year. At our Haywold site in Yorkshire, the highest six yielding varieties were all hybrid types and yielded within 0.26t/ha of each other.

For conventional lines, very high specific weights were observed for many, with Kitty achieving the highest in trial at 77.43 kg/hl along with a high yield of 12.11t/ha.  Good yields for all conventional lines were achieved too, notably for LG Caravelle, with both KWS Tardis and Valencis achieving over 11t/ha.  Yields for the 2-row malting types were behind the 2-row feeds as expected, but still achieved over 10t/ha in this trial.

Of course, all of these benefits can only be realised if a barley crop is set up to succeed.

After spending time considering the right variety, you need to be sure you’re able to source quality seed so that you’re set up for success from the beginning. Our seed teams take huge pride in adopting the ‘Frontier Standard’; ensuring all of the seed we grow, process and certify goes above and beyond the industry’s mandatory minimum standard so growers  stand the best possible chance of a successful crop.

While timings for drilling might be less rigid for barley, optimum soil conditions are still the best foundation for a successful crop. Seedbed quality is paramount for establishing a healthy plant as quickly as possible, supporting maximum growth and tillering potential.

Crops forced into wet, cold, poor-quality seedbeds will struggle to get going, losing valuable tillering time and once tillers are set, so is yield. We have to accept that unlike wheat, barley cannot manipulate tiller numbers to cover some of the potential lost with later drilling.

Seed rates may also need to be adjusted to achieve a good plant stand and to account for conditions. Rates similar to those used for wheat are generally a good place to start.

Once the crop is in, spring agronomy should start as early as possible in the new year to retain as many tillers as possible and ensure adequate nutrition for the setting of ear size during stem extension.

More information about growing winter barley can be found in our national seed guide, with an comprehensive review of the latest varieties and rotational considerations.

If you have questions or would like more advice, you can get in touch by emailing info@frontierag.co.uk or calling 0800 227445.

Data source AHDB Recommended Trials – Winter Barley, unless otherwise stated.