‘The good, the bad and the ugly’ is how Anheuser-Busch Midwest Regional Agronomy Manager Nikki Zahradka describes the barley growing in the North Dakota and Minnesota. The differences come down to moisture. “The best barley I’ve seen is on prevent plant ground from last year. The bad crop is on the struggle bus. Then, there are the ugly sections with no rains and extremely uneven stands. Some fields have nothing growing.” Zahradka says drier conditions may help with the lodging challenges. “On the flip side, we’re probably losing top end yields every day we’re above 90 degrees. Barley prefers cool temperatures. We’re already going to see yields and quality losses coming into play this summer. Protein will be on everyone’s mind.” Zahradka is not concerned in the short-term about barley supplies, but there may be concerns in the future.
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