Crop Development Report June 2026
Record heat, a hailstorm and a growth standstill: the Lupex Crop Development Report June 2026 documents a dramatic month for hops in the Hallertau. Twelve days above 30 °C mark a new all-time June high — the previous record stood at 11 heat days back in 2003.
The June average of 20.2 °C in the Hallertau was around 4.9 °C above the long-term mean. Precipitation, at 97.5 mm, came close to the long-term average (a deviation of just −9.4 mm) — a clear improvement over March, April and May. Even so, year-to-date precipitation stands at only 280.6 mm by the end of June, 33.5 % below the long-term average.
Through mid-June, the stands looked very good and were roughly one week ahead of schedule. Last week’s heat days set that lead back significantly — growth came almost to a standstill. Initial damage is now visible in the tops, with some main shoots dying back. This will affect yields for the 2026 harvest. The Herkules variety is currently the most affected.
On the disease and pest front, downy mildew remains unproblematic given the heat, while powdery mildew is appearing in isolated cases. Aphid treatments were carried out successfully. Following the recent rainfall, spider mite treatments will be needed again.
Adding to the picture, a hailstorm at the start of June caused damage across the hop yards over an area of roughly 400 hectares. We are monitoring further developments to assess the extent of the damage and how the stands recover.
In Slovenia, precipitation and irrigation conditions were satisfactory through the end of June. Due to last week’s very high temperatures, growers have begun irrigating again. Plants are in good condition, with downy mildew, red spider mite and other potential diseases under control.
In the Czech Republic, the end of the month was also very hot. Early June brought relatively high downy mildew pressure, which could be controlled. Some stands are weaker this year than last year.
We will keep you posted.
👉 Read the Crop Development Report June 2026 as a PDF now.
