Ov Overv rview iew Of Of Ce Cereal al Gr Growi wing ng In Or Orkney ney By Peter er Martin tin and John Wishart art Agrono nomy my Institute, titute, Orkney ney College ge UHI rd 2015 NPA CEREAL AL Project ject Confere rence ce, , Orkney y Oct 23 rd 2015
Histor Hi torica ical Cereals grown in Orkney since Neolithic times (c. 4,000 BC): • Mostly barley (often naked); small quantities of wheat, mainly Emmer Oats introduced in the Iron Age Norse period (800-1468): • Barley (6-row, hulled; probably Bere) and oats dominate; Bere and black oats suited to sandy coastal soils (Mn-deficient) • Trading links with other Norse areas – grain, malt or beremeal an important Orkney export (Norway, Shetland and later Leith) 1800s – major agricultural improvements: • Soil improvement by draining and liming • Enclosure of stock • Post 1830’s, steamer service allowed the development of a strong livestock industry By 1912, (13,500 ha oats and c. 1,600 ha of Bere th C, Through ugh 20 th C, shift to growing modern feed barley, virtual loss of oats and Bere
Cur urren rent t Ag Agricultura icultural l La Land nd-Use Use In In Orkn rkney ey Ca. 93,000 ha of agricultural land Dominated by livestock: • High quality ity meat t and dairy y industry stry (83,0 ,000 00 cattle tle & 116,0 ,000 00 sheep) p) • 93% is grassl sslan and and rough h grazin ing Only 4,500 ha of crops; c. 4,360 ha is barley Cereals grown for feed and straw. Often, but not always within a rotation: • 6-8 yrs grass • 2-3 yrs barley ey • Barley ey ofte ten n undersown rsown with h grass s in rd year 3 rd High fertility soils resulting from applications of slurry/manure to grass and cereal fields
Ma Main in Uses es Of f Orkn rkney ey Cer erea eals ls On-Farm Animal Feed & Bedding • Most barley ey harves ested ed as moist grain n (23- 25% mc) and d treated ed with preser ervati ative • Smaller er amounts unts harves ested ted at higher er moisture ure for crimpi ping, ng, as whole e crop p silage age or dry grain • Straw is very important tant Other On-Farm Uses • Some e dried d grain n retained ned on-far arm m as farm- saved ed seed. ed. Off-Farm Uses • A few grower ers produce uce certified ed seed • Bere e for malting ng and local al milling ng (ca. 50 ha) • Malting ng barley ey for Highland and Park Distiller ery (ca 12 ha) • Small areas as of oats and wheat at for local al milling ng • About out 1 h ha of oats for straw w for weaving ng • In good d years, rs, some e expor port of straw and grain n to Shetl tland and
Challe leng nges es & & St Strengths gths Of Cereal l Cultiv ivati ation on In Orkne ney Challen enges es & constrain traints ts – mainly ly weath ther er related ted • Stron rong g winds ds and d soil il waterlog rloggin ging g over er winte nter r prev even ent the he use e of winter r cere real al varie rietie ies. • Lat ate e plant anting ing (us usually ually April) il). Proba obably bly lates est plant anting ing of Spring ring barley rley in UK – depe pend nds on soil il dry rying ing out ut • Short ort, cool ool grow rowin ing g seas ason ons. • Stron rong g winds ds near ar harv rvest can n caus use e crop rop lodging dging or grain ain / ear ar shedd hedding ing • Wet weat ather her at harv arvest: o Difficult harvesting conditions o High grain moisture • Few read adily ily acces essib ible le early rly mat atur uring ing variet arieties ies for or malt ltin ing g and d milling ling Strengths • Hundre ndreds ds of years ears of soil il and d farm arm improv provem ement nts • Fert rtile ile soils ils and d farm arm manure nures • Fields elds mos ostly ly suit itable ble for or mode dern rn mac achine hinery ry (siz ize, slope ope, drainag rainage) e) • A high gh level el of mechan echanis isat ation. ion. Sever eral al large rge cont ontrac actors rs. High gh machin hinery ery output uts helps lps farm rmers ers cope ope with h narr rrow ow window dows of oppo port rtun unit ities ies for or plant anting ing, spray praying ing and d harv rvesting ing.
Opportu rtuni nitie ties s Fo For Cereal al Fo Food and Drink k Marke kets ts Malting ing Barley ley • 2 Distilleries and 2 breweries • Highland Park and Swannay Brewery both have experience of using local barley. • Highland Park has its own malting facilities. • Bere - a traditional Scottish crop already being exported to Bruichladdich Distillery and Valhalla Brewery for niche products. Cere reals als For r Milling ing • Barony Mill produces stoneground Beremeal (barley), oatmeal and wheat flour • Used by local bakeries • Some export of beremeal Aim: : to o increa ease se the range and quantity of genuinely “local” food and drink k products ucts for: • High-value exports • Tourists and visitors (c 140,000 visitors pa (excluding cruise ship passengers)
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