Crop updates: late 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.
27 August 2026
General Comments
Whilst there are still crops to harvest, some crops such as oilseed rape are already going in in some areas, and the hope is for rapid emergence to outpace the risk of flea beetle and slug damage. This will be helped by the warm soil temperatures and recent rain showers. Advice on varieties, managing pests and disease at emergence of autumn sown crops is provided in this report.
Regional Comments
ORKNEY
The weather has remained very unsettled with very few dry days and some heavy downpours. There are lots of areas within fields of spring barley where the crop has gone flat - particularly end rigs. Harvest looks weeks away for most conventional feed varieties; however, the ancient Bere crop could be harvested this week if the weather plays ball. Some farmers are making 2nd cut silage, but there is likely to be wheel tracks left in many fields. Grazing cattle are also making a mess around the troughs where they are getting fed bruised barley.
CAITHNESS
Spring harvest has kicked off in the area in the past few days, compared to the same time last year a lot of spring growers had finished with straw all baled up. A lot of spring crop has now been sprayed off too. Winter harvesting is completed although there is still straw lying for a few. Grain yield seems similar to last year while reports of less straw. Weather has been extremely unsettled over the last two weeks with improved forecasts giving renewed hope for the spring crop harvest upcoming. Some winter crop preparation is also underway with ploughing in the past few days. Fodder stocks should be plentiful with reports of highly increased yields compared to 2025.
INVERNESS
Over the last two weeks, the weather in Inverness has been mixed. There has been a mixture of heavy showers followed by warm sunny spells, temperatures dipped before returning to 15-20 degrees. Over the weekend the weather has again improved allowing most to move forward with harvest. The winter barley and winter OSR have been harvested. With winter wheat now started to be harvested too. Spring barley is also developing well, with most crops now at the late ripening stages or ready to be cut. There is a large amount of early sown crops in the area that have already been harvested with the later sown crops roughly a week or so away from cutting. Ramularia has been present in some of crops, however most are clean. Over the next two weeks in Inverness, the weather looks to be slightly more unsettled. With this week being the best of the sunny weather and a few showers around, temperatures around 15-20 degrees however, this will be followed by much more showery conditions towards the weekend where we will see much more cloud and rainfall.
ABERDEENSHIRE
With the sun shining the combines are out in force this week as they cut spring barley and winter wheat. Yields are looking good (so far) with many spring barleys reported at over 3t/ac. Screenings however are a bit more variable. Winter wheats are also getting cut at present and although yields are appearing good too there seems to be a good bit of variability due to location and variety used. A lot of oilseed rape appears to be getting sown this year again as growers move away from spring barley, but soils will need a bit of moisture to aid establishment. This appears to be coming this weekend! Following the news item last week about El Ninio it is also a timely reminder to make sure that winter crops get sown timeously if weather forecasters are predicting a wet autumn/winter. Growers are therefore flat out now taking advantage of the current weather window. Most seed potato crops haulms have been removed/cut now, but ware growers are still seeking to build yield at present.
BANFF & BUCHAN
A week of rain saw harvest work come to an abrupt halt with some areas receiving some very heavy localised showers. As seems to be the way, the weather settled down at the weekend, with harvest beginning again with much of the spring barley, oats and winter wheat now ripe. The countryside is now awash with combines and balers with combines being able to work from mid-morning to well into the evening. Moisture contents are creeping back down again, helping save drying costs. Barley quality looks to be good with nitrogens and screenings within tolerance with yields being good, without breaking records. At the other end of the cycle, oilseed rapes are being sown with a mix of establishment methods from no-till, to min-till to traditional plough and one pass with the area being sown again looking higher than previous years. Most potatoes have now had their haulms pulverised and sprayed with the first crops due to be lifted soon. Cover crops are being established, with several farmers using drones to establish into standing crops to save time and money. With EFA moving to 7% in 2027, there is increased interest in different grass seed mixes that will satisfy different EFA options.
FORFAR
Cereal harvest is nearing completion in the area, all OSR and barley has been cut with only a handful of winter wheat left to get cut in the coming days. Wider observation of the area would also see some late spring oats which will also be cut within the next week to ten days. Preparations for harvest 2027 are underway, the bulk of OSR crops now sown and will benefit from the rain forecast for the end of the week. Early indications would be that OSR and winter barley yields were certainly satisfactory but maybe not quite the record crops seen last year. Although quite early, reports are that spring barley benefited from the late spring/early summer rain that we missed in 2025, meaning crops were certainly yielding well but with a stagnant market, quality is yet to be widely reported on. Attention is turning now to getting fields cleared of straw and prepared for the sowing of winter crops as we head into September.
PERTHSHIRE
Although not quite complete harvest is well through for the end of August and yields have held up well. A combination of early harvest and poor prospects for spring crops has meant that a larger than usual area has been sown into oilseed rape into good conditions with more to go in yet. Ground preparations for winter cereals are underway.
FIFE
Cereal and oilseed harvest is roughly three quarters done in Fife. Yields are being reported as average to fair with quality better than last year. Green cover crops have been sown and are now emerging well after last week’s rain showers. Oilseed rape tillage is taking place with some good seedbeds established and good conditions for pre-emergent weed control to be applied, the damp conditions last week and the forecast damp for the middle of this week should allow the herbicide to work at its best. If the weather conditions can continue to limit themselves to a couple of nights of light rain a week followed be a breeze and warm temperatures for a few more weeks that would be fantastic!
STIRLINGSHIRE
As we approach the end of August, most of the autumn-sown crops have now been harvested, with next year’s crops already sown in their place. Winter wheat yields appear to be down slightly on last year, although results have varied across farms and fields. In contrast, winter oats have had a particularly good year, with both grain and straw yields performing well.
The spring barley harvest has been somewhat stop-start over the past fortnight, largely depending on weather. Initial reports suggest yields are average, with noticeably fewer screenings than the previous year.
LOTHIANS
After a 7–8-day weather interruption last week, harvest got underway again at the weekend. For many the last of the wheats and spring barleys are now coming off. Good yields are being reported in many 1st wheats, although the yield disparity between 1st, 2nd and 3rd wheats, appears greater than one might normally expect. Spring barley appears to have yielded above expectation given the dry summer, with 7t/ha crops not uncommon. Pea viners are busy lifting the later sown crops and depending on end-use, potato haulms flailed down. Where oilseed rape has been established, emergence has been quick and uniform as too has stubble turnips following winter barley.
BORDERS
The unsettled weather of last week, approx. 18mm of rain, disrupted harvest progress, but with a good run of dry conditions through the weekend harvesting of cereals for many growers is now complete. In general yields have held up well in both winter and spring crops with nitrogens around 1.5% and screenings well down on last year with little above 5%. Straw volumes are at or above average for wheat and below average for spring cereals. Sowing of winter oilseed rape and application of pre-emergence herbicides has been underway over the last 10 days.
LANARKSHIRE
The recent spell of settled weather has allowed winter crops to be harvested under good conditions, with whole crop and arable silage harvests now well underway. Spring cropping harvests are yet to begin. Several grass-reseeds, and forage crops have also been established, with many taking advantage of the recent dry spell following a period of rain. The improved conditions have also allowed another cut of silage to be taken on farms operating multi-cut systems
AYRSHIRE
Combines at the ready! There’s nothing like round bales sitting in the field to remind you the seasons are changing. This last fortnight has been just what we needed to get much of the winter crop in Ayrshire over the line, the question is, can you get on the ground to harvest? The weather has been relatively mild these last few weeks, but the rain has never been far away. The spring barley is not miles behind the winter crops, with those fields walked between growth stages 87 and 92. Elsewhere in Ayrshire other crops like maize and fodder beet are still in the ground and will keep those farmers waiting patiently.
Posted by SRUC on 31/08/2026
