Will Hemus finished combining wheat at Wheatcroft Farm, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, yesterday (2 September), leaving spring beans left to do.
“I wanted a boring year, but it’s been very unusual. It is a relief to have finished wheat – we’ve had the best combining we’ve had all harvest over the past few days.”
Most wheat was coming in at below 16% moisture, and looked reasonable quality. “We may have lost a bit of bushelweight, but it had only sprouted where it had been knocked down.
“The only wheat that looked a bit off colour was a second wheat which had been ready for nearly a month – but we will do a mycotoxin test.”
Yields ranged from 6.5t/ha to 10.5t/ha (2.6-4.25t/acre), with Duxford second wheat averaging better than expected at 8t/ha (3.2t/acre), and Solstice, Scout and Duxford first wheat yielding 9.4t/ha (3.8t/acre).
“The proteins and bushelweights looked good in the milling wheat but it hasn’t been tested yet.”
Oilseed rape averaged 4t/ha (1.6t/acre), with Cabernet yielding the best, followed by Hammer, and Castille bringing up the rear.
“There was massive variance in the same fields – freely draining, well structured soil did well. But we were waiting forever for it to mature so we were later into wheat than we’d like.”
Mr Hemus now had 32ha (80 acres) of spring beans to cut, but the straw was still green. “They will be dreadful – they got waterlogged and are one of the most dreadful crops of beans I’ve ever grown.”
Crop: Winter wheat
Varieties: Duxford, Solstice and Scout.
Yield: 8-9.4t/ha (3.2-3.8t/acre)
Crop: Oilseed rape
Varieties: Cabernet, Castille and Hammer
Yield: 4t/ha (1.6t/acre)