Following one of the earliest and fastest harvests on record, the 2026 season has delivered a stark reminder of how extreme weather reshapes farm performance across the UK. From the warmest spring on record in England and Wales to six intense summer heatwaves, moisture availability and a soil's ability to retain it proved to be the ultimate differentiator - not just between farms across the country, but even within individual fields.

Every stage of the farming calendar is a learning opportunity - now more than ever with more frequent extremes of weather, progressive genetics in action and changes in government support all forcing us to stay agile, adapt and build resilience in our farming practices. Each year, our technical teams and agronomists closely follow harvest progress, drawing on insights from Frontier’s extensive network of trials. Here’s a first look at learnings so far in 2026 and how those lessons will shape agronomic planning for the year ahead.

Key agronomic lessons from the season

• Soil health drives resilience. Soil organic matter and structural health were directly linked to water retention. Fields with superior moisture-holding capacity weathered May-July's severe drought much more effectively, reinforcing the importance of long-term soil management and optimising soil health as the foundation for success.

• You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Moving beyond basic broad-spectrum testing to evaluate organic matter, soil biology and physical structure is the foundation for optimising performance. Now is the opportunity to assess soil condition, compaction, nutrient status and lime requirements:

  • Heavy land: Earlier prolonged dry spells may have created beneficial deep fracturing. Check structure at depth before committing to costly cultivation passes that could destroy natural drainage channels.

  • Light land: Lighter soils require targeted management to avoid compaction and maintain moisture retention.

  • Targeted inputs: Combining yield mapping with zonal sampling puts nutrition and seed precisely where they yield the highest return. Understanding soil variation across a field is the essential first step.

• Grain quality strengths: Despite lower yields in drought affected areas, grain quality was remarkably strong. High specific weights, robust Hagberg numbers and elevated protein levels were driven by high sunlight levels during grain fill and lower yield dilution.

• Managing nutrition and offtake: Widespread baling coupled with a generally increased potash content of straw because of the extreme hot and dry conditions this season means overall potash removal from soils is high. Combined with insights from our ongoing nutrient planning research, including upcoming guidance on nitrogen rates and timings along with sulphur for 2027, growers will need careful nutrient budgeting this autumn.

• Emerging pest vigilance: Mild winter conditions contributed to notable BYDV pressure, while our technical team noted increasing monitoring requirements for emerging threats such as wheat dwarf virus, beet armyworm, and beet moth.

Standout performers and crop highlights

Oilseed rape exceeds expectations

Despite initial concerns regarding cabbage stem flea beetle pressure and dry autumn conditions, oilseed rape emerged as the season's primary success story across many regions.

• Genetics in action: Strong spring growth allowed crops to branch out effectively, recovering far better than anticipated. RGT Eros delivered exceptional yields and market leading oil contents across multiple trial sites, supported by high yielding performance varieties like Dompteur and Karat.

• Looking forward: As growers now look toward autumn establishment, these results highlight the vital role of robust genetics and good establishment windows in mitigating pest risks.

Growers still have time to reduce establishment risk for harvest 2027 with Frontier’s OSR risk-sharing schemes. Choose between our OSR de-risking partnership (100% seed cost coverage on failed crops) or our risk share option (50% seed cost coverage on failed areas, with no requirement for Frontier agronomy). Contact your local Frontier advisor for more information and before applications close.

Winter wheat and the disease challenge

Results across our wheat trials reflected the wide yield variations seen on farms:

• Yellow rust dynamics: High yellow rust pressure was a defining feature of the year, once again challenging previously relied upon resistance genes such as YR15. Varietal choice, fungicide selection, and precise application timing proved paramount. Varieties with strong yellow rust resistance such as LG Defiance, held up exceptionally well in high disease regions, whilst the value of good Septoria resistance was seen in the wetter west where varieties like KWS Scope often sat at the top of trials.

• Varietal stars: New additions such as LG Defiance performed strongly in late sown trials, while soft Group 4 candidate Sparkler led our trial work at Amesbury. In milling wheats, KWS Vibe achieved strong results with high protein levels, demonstrating how growers can protect premium specifications even in testing seasons.

• Trait resilience: The value of targeted trait protection was clearly demonstrated by BYDV resistant candidates RGT Griffin and RGT Gorgon at our Wiltshire trial site.

Winter barley performance

Combines entered winter barley as early as 9th July, marking one of the earliest starts on record.

• Malting and yield: In the malting sector, Buccaneer significantly outyielded Craft across multiple sites.

• Conventional versus hybrid: Conventional two row varieties such as LG Caravelle performed admirably, occasionally outpacing hybrids where extreme heat appears to have coincided with their flowering window. Among hybrids, SY Barnabus and SY Kingsbarn proved to be the most reliable performers.

Investing in our nationwide trial network

While combining is complete, the work across our 13,000 trial plots nationwide is only just beginning. Plot scale research across 7 dedicated trial sites and 9 demonstration sites allows our teams to test innovations under real life conditions. Over the past season alone, we hosted 18 summer open days and welcomed over 2,100 attendees, supporting knowledge exchange through close partnerships with industry bodies such as BBRO, CUPGRA, MGA, AHDB, Warburtons, and key industry leaders.

This extensive network allows us to deliver value across four core pillars:

• Independent evidence: We provide unbiased evaluation of products, practices, and technologies. Because our trials are not aligned to individual suppliers or manufacturers, growers receive robust, objective data to underpin their agronomic decisions.

• Future solutions: We proactively test new chemistry, biologicals, and digital technologies. By generating evidence well ahead of commercial adoption, we identify viable alternatives as products face regulatory change or withdrawal.

• Horizon scanning: Our teams continually monitor emerging pest, disease and weed threats while tracking regulatory and policy developments to anticipate upcoming challenges for UK crop production.

• Precision innovation: In addition to varietal and chemistry work, our precision trials continue to evaluate advanced variable rate nitrogen approaches.

Across our trial network, including nearly 6,000 plots managed at Haywold alone, our teams are processing thousands of harvest samples for nitrogen, protein and biomass assessments.

Precision agronomy trials

This season has also marked significant progress in our precision agronomy trials. We have been trialling three innovative variable rate nitrogen approaches against standard leaf area index models:

1. Hyper spectral satellite imagery: Measuring crop nitrogen directly to calculate a Nitrogen Nutrition Index.

2. Long term yield potential mapping: Adjusting nitrogen rates using historical yield map trends calibrated against in season biomass.

3. Homegrown nitrogen nutrition index: Utilising widely accessible satellite data to optimise late-stage nitrogen remobilisation and improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE).

These initiatives reflect our continued investment in data-driven research, designed to help customers optimise both productivity and net farm profitability.

Continuing the conversation this winter

Harvest 2026 has provided invaluable data on variety selection, fungicide pipelines, innovative weed control chemistry such as Fundatis and LaDiva, and precision nutrition.

The insights gathered from our vast investment into trials this season will form the foundation of our upcoming winter event series, where our experts will share detailed data, site specific findings, and practical recommendations tailored to your farming system.

Speak with your local Frontier advisor today to discuss how these insights apply to your farm for the season ahead. To book onto your local event, visit the website.