Crop Development Report May 2026

A hot spring, well below-average rainfall, and six heat days in May alone: the Lupex Crop Development Report May 2026 sums up the climate data and crop progress in the Hallertau — and, for the first time, also provides brief updates from the growing regions in Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

The 2026 growing season has started hot and dry in the Hallertau. The average temperature in May, at 15.1 °C, was around 3 degrees above the long-term mean. On six days, the thermometer climbed above 30 °C — unusually early in the season.

Precipitation continues the trend of recent months. At 29.3 mm, May was 60.9 mm below the long-term average. By the end of May, the Hallertau has seen only 183.1 mm in total — 41.9 % less than usual.

Despite the dry conditions, crop development is normal to slightly ahead of schedule. The first round of hilling is largely complete, and the first generation of hop aphids has begun migrating into the gardens. The first spider mites are appearing on the lower foliage. Thanks to the dry weather, downy mildew is currently not a concern, provided the stands remain free of primary infections.

New in this report: a first look beyond the Hallertau. In Slovenia, temperatures are tracking the long-term average; the drier April was partly offset by substantial rainfall in mid-May, crop condition is normal, and there is no notable disease or pest pressure. In the Czech Republic, by contrast, May was similarly hot and dry. Growers there need to begin initial fungicide treatments against primary downy mildew infections, and aphid development is being monitored closely.

How heat and drought will affect yields and alpha values will become clearer in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted.

👉 Read the Crop Development Report May 2026 as a PDF now.