Crop development

Updated 26 June 2026

At the end of May and start of June, temperatures in all regions were above average, before returning to more moderate levels by mid-June.

Dry weather in April and May left many cereal crops short of moisture, but rain in early June eased stress and supported grain filling in areas that received enough rainfall. However, rainfall has varied widely between regions and even fields, with eastern areas still under moisture stress.

Earlier dry conditions reduced tillering, shortened crops, and caused early senescence. Recent rain has improved some crops, but spring crops and crops hit by moisture stress are unlikely to fully recover.

Crop performance has been shaped by changing weather, with wet and dry spells affecting growth and stress levels. Even so, a mild winter, good crop establishment, and timely June rainfall have helped keep winter crop yield potential stronger than last season.

The current late-June heatwave may reduce cereal yields by speeding up senescence, shortening grain filling, and limiting grain size, especially on lighter soils with low moisture reserves.

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) is widespread in oats across England and Wales, with severe impacts reported in some areas. Elsewhere, symptoms are patchier but are often made worse by drought stress, and at times, herbicide damage. Aphid pressure appears higher.

Blackgrass remains generally well controlled in England this season, but ryegrass, brome, and wild oats are now the main grassweed problems. In Scotland, blackgrass has also been found in wheat, where it was not previously a major issue.

Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) has been confirmed in several regions, including the East Midlands and South East. Some crops have been badly affected and needed re-drilling. Better awareness and testing have improved detection, but diagnosis is still difficult because symptoms can look like BYDV or stress damage.

Rising input costs are leading to more targeted fungicide use based on crop potential. High-value crops are still receiving full programmes, but reduced inputs have increased the septoria risk in some cases.

The information in this report was captured up to Monday 22 June 2026 for AHDB by RSK ADAS Ltd.

The latest data on UK crop conditions was captured up to Monday 22 June 2026, and is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. UK crop condition ratings (June 2026)

Source: AHDB, data captured by RSK ADAS Ltd.

Note: Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Crop condition definitions

Crop condition was assessed using the USDA approach. This classifies crops into one of five categories, from very poor through to excellent (see details below).

The values are given as the percentage of the UK crop area for that crop that falls in each of the categories – regional condition scores are available on the crop reporting dashboard at the bottom of this page.

• Very poor – Extreme degree of loss to yield potential, complete or near crop failure
• Poor – Heavy degree of loss to yield potential, which can be caused by excess soil moisture, drought, disease, etc
• Fair – Less than normal crop condition. Yield loss is a possibility, but the extent is unknown
• Good – Yield prospects are normal. Moisture levels are adequate and disease, insect damage, and weed pressures are minor
• Excellent – Yield prospects are above normal. Crops are experiencing little or no stress. Disease, insect damage, and weed pressures are insignificant

Highlights by crop

Winter wheat

58% of winter wheat crops across the UK are in a good or excellent condition. This is down from the 64% rated good or excellent at the end of May and 75% at the end of April, showing the impact of the dry weather this spring. This rating is still well above this time last year (38%) but does indicate curtailed yield potential compared to earlier in the year.

Winter barley

Across the UK, 64% of the winter barley crop is rated as in a good or excellent condition, up from 62% a month ago. It is also still above the 50% of winter barley with this rating a year ago.

Winter oats

64% of the UK winter oat crop is rated as good-to-excellent, down from 71% in late-May but still well above the 55% at this point a year ago.

Winter oilseed rape

Nationwide, 80% of winter oilseed rape crops are in good or excellent condition. This is up slightly from the 78% reported last month and is still notably above last year, when 55% of winter oilseed rape was in good-to-excellent condition.

Spring wheat

Please note that spring wheat insights are based on a more limited sample due to the lower area than other crops, so caution is needed when using this data. Just 33% of spring wheat crops are in good or excellent condition nationwide, notably below the 51% at this time last year. 

Spring barley

Nationwide, 55% of spring barley crops are in good or excellent condition. This is down slightly from the 57% reported last month, but is still above last year, when 52% of spring barley was in good-to-excellent condition. There is also considerable variation across the country. In Scotland, 90% of spring barley is in good-to-excellent condition.

Spring oats

Nationwide, 42% of spring oat crops are in good or excellent condition. This is down from the 55% reported last month but is still above last year, when 38% of spring oats were in good-to-excellent condition.

This interactive tool helps show the condition and growth stages of different crops across the UK. The top chart is split into regions and uses colours to show different crop conditions. You can use the bottom chart to see the growth stages of cereals or oilseeds.

How to use the dashboard

• Use the drop down menu at the top of the first chart to view the crop conditions of a particular crop in each region
  
  
• Use the drop down menus at the top of the second chart to view the percentage of a crop at each growth stage. The drop down menus can also be used to show the information for a particular region

This is the final report on the 2026 crops.

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