Crop updates: August 2026
Our regular round up of the issues affecting crops around Scotland, summarises how crops are developing and what weather and other issues are affecting them. The update provides information on the progress with key field work activities as well as news on the pest, weed and disease problems being noted in crops. The health issues being seen in crops are a key part of the topical update and lets growers and agronomists adjust management practices appropriately.
07 August 2026
General Comments
For most, apart from the northern Isles, July gave a good fortnight’s window of fine weather to hit into harvest, with rapid progress made through barley and into oats and oilseed rape. It’s early days yet to draw firm conclusions on how the crops are yielding, but in general reports are positive. Quite how the dry summer has impacted yields and quality will become more evident as the wheats come off. Pressure is already being felt in the livestock sector, particularly to the east, where lack of grass has already necessitated supplementary feeding of conserved forages.
Regional Comments
ORKNEY
Lack of sunshine will be a resounding memory of this summer. Spring barley was being harvested in August last year but that looks highly unlikely to be repeated in 2026 with crops only at the early grain fill stage. Attempting to make hay is a headache but the frequent rain showers are proving ideal for washing slurry in and for aiding germination of direct grass reseeds.
MORAY
After a prolonged dry spell (where many private water supplies have gone dry) spring barley harvest is almost upon us on the Morayshire coast and just as producers ready their combines, the inevitable happens and the heavens open. With rain in the forecast for most of the coming week it is not the start farmers would have hoped for. That said spring barley crops are generally looking very well with bold grains in a lot of crops, especially those on land which has been able to hold onto more moisture. Winter oilseed rape too is now ready to cut having been sprayed off a few weeks ago, and some producers got in just ahead of the rain and managed to get their oilseed rape harvest complete. Early indications look like a good crop. Winter wheat crops are still green but starting to lose colour and are in the soft dough stage. Winter barley harvest has been complete with crops in general yielding well and cut at low grain moisture levels.
ABERDEENSHIRE
Winter Barley is harvested now and reports are generally good, with good yields and bushel weights, with moisture contents between 13% and 16%. Winter rape crops are just about to be harvested and at time of writing no yield reports are available yet. Spring barley and winter wheat grains are progressing thorough the doughy stage and are not quite ready for harvesting, but I have heard some early sown spring barleys been sprayed with pre harvest glyphosate to control grass weeds. Some reports of loose smut have also been made as growers were rouging spring barley for wild oats. The showery weather this week has been a welcome relief for grassland farmers, as the dry weather in July (although good for hay making) has slowed growth and started to cause shortages for some.
BANFF & BUCHAN
Harvest is now well underway with winter barleys mostly tidied up across the area. Quality looks to be good and moisture contents have been low, keeping drying bills to a minimum however yields have been fairly average. Oilseed rapes are beginning to be harvested although most of the crops remains in swath or have been sprayed off. Yields again have been average and are struggling to emulate last year’s exceptional performance. Winter wheats are now losing their green leaf and quickly senescing and in some parts of the area may be harvested before the spring barleys. Spring barleys are also starting to turn and are receiving lots of sunshine to help with grain fill with some of the earlier areas starting to apply pre-harvest glyphosate. Potato rogueing continues and with the mix of sunshine, warmth and moisture this summer, tubers are quickly bulking up, with haulm destruction being undertaken in a few crops. While grass growth has been good so far this year, the warm weather has taken its toll, and some fields and braes are starting to burn up.
FORFAR
Winter barley harvest is well through, with a few fields left to combine, yields so far are average but not the high yields seen last year. Majority of OSR crops have been desiccated, and some crops have been harvested to the north of the region, reports of decent yields and oil content. OSR is now ready to harvest but recent wet weather is delaying cutting. Spring barley crops are progressing through the growth stages well, with crops looking likely to be sprayed off in the next couple of weeks. Winter wheat crops have suffered with the recent dry weather, with some moderate disease pressure sighted.
PERTHSHIRE
A change in the weather has meant that no harvest progress has been made since the weekend. Winter barley is largely complete, and oilseed rape is around halfwaycut and once the weather dries up there will be a lot of spring barley and wheat awaiting the combine. Many are taking the opportunity to get soil samples done and lime applied before drilling oilseed rape with the first crops now having been planted with pre-emergence herbicide applied.
FIFE
After a few wet days, last weekend provided a good few harvesting days. Vining peas, winter oilseed rape and winter oats have all been harvested over the last 3 or 4 days. Yields and moisture are reported as fair to good and quality remains to be seen. We are back to drizzle this Monday morning but most folk are into the harvest gap between winter barley, oilseed rape and winter oats and the start of spring barley and winter wheat harvest. Green covers have been seeded on the early cleared winter barley fields and having had some rain should quickly accelerate from seed to ground cover with the soil temperatures where they are at. Hopefully some more stable weather patterns move in over the next week or so to allow spring barley and wheat harvest to start.
LOTHIANS
The first three weeks of July remained exceedingly dry, and the above average temperatures meant combines were into winter barleys even earlier than last year. The run continued into winter oats until rain stopped play in the last week of July when most areas had between 25-50mm over that 6–7-day period. Drying winds thereafter meant a start could be made on the oilseed rape with a fair acreage coming off before rain fell again on the 3rd August. Oilseed rape is reported as running well although below last year's yields. Winter barley yields appear to be coming off well, notably on heavier land. A more settled period of drier warmer weather forecast for next week will no doubt see combines rolling once again. For livestock farmers, fodder stocks are in short supply the further east you travel, with supplementary silage feeding already being required over the last couple of weeks for stock at grass.
BORDERS
With only 50% of average rainfall recorded in June and July all crops have been ripening rapidly. Winter barley harvest is complete and for most it will have been the earliest harvest start in recent years. Yields have been variable at 6-10t/ha and dependent on soil type and how much of the localised rain hit the crop during June and early July. Combines moved into oilseed rape, winter wheat and winter oats, in the last week of July. Early reports are of good yields in oilseed rape, but more variable in wheat and oats. Harvest of the first spring cereals expected in the 1st week of August if the weather stays favourable.
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY
The dry weather has continued across the area, with very little rainfall recorded over the past week. Winter barley crops have been harvested, with yields varying considerably. Crops grown on lighter land have suffered the most from the prolonged dry conditions, overall yields have been generally ranging between 2 and 3 tonnes per acre. Spring barley crops appear more promising and are beginning to ripen well. Grass growth has almost come to a standstill due to the lack of moisture. First and second cut silage crops have been excellent, however, third cut crops are expected to be very poor in both yield and quality.
STRANRAER
Fine weather has made for an easy harvest of winter barley. Crops looked well but haven’t broken any records, typical yields of 3t/acre have been reported. Arable silage and wholecrop harvests are well underway with winter wheat and spring cereals still to start. Grass growth has slowed up dramatically with many places desperate for the rain forecast for this week. Slow grass growth has also delayed sowing of some forage crops going in after silage but with warm soils and rain forecast hopefully the yield penalty isn’t too high.
Posted by SRUC on 13/08/2026
