Scottish Spring Barley Tour – August 2025
In early August 2025, Tom Barker and Paul Bury from Secobra UK hit the road for a 300 mile tour of Scotland, visiting spring barley trial sites, commercial crops and variety demonstrations across East Lothian, Perthshire, Fife, Angus, and Kincardineshire.
With harvest well underway in the aftermath of Storm Floris, spring barley crops were as far forward as we’ve ever seen at this stage of the season. In almost every area, combines were rolling as growers pushed on to make the most of the conditions.
The tour was a great opportunity to meet seed distributors and maltsters out in the field, discuss crop progress and share insights on the next generation of spring barley varieties being developed for Scotland and the wider UK market.
Belter and Ptarmigan were standout names throughout the journey with Belter toasted in the field for its quality and consistency and Ptarmigan drawing strong interest from growers impressed by its early maturity, high specific weight and stiff straw in commercial settings.
From walking trials with maltsters mid harvest to catching up over a Forfar Bridie, the trip offered valuable time to listen, learn and keep building the barley conversation in Scotland.
We’d like to thank everyone who welcomed us during the tour as it’s these field visits that continue to shape the way we breed, develop and deliver varieties that work for growers and the wider supply chain.
