Richard Beachell started combining oilseed rape at Field House Farm, Bainton, Humberside, yesterday (27 July) and is pleased with yields so far.

The first field of Excalibur weighed in at 6.2t/ha (2.5t/acre) over the combine, with the second field at 4.3t/ha (1.75t/acre).

“Whether or not that’s 100% accurate I don’t know, but it looked a good crop and there was a fair bit of seed coming off.”

Mr Beachell had cut 20ha (50 acres) so far, with another 40ha (100 acres) still to do. “We should be back on this afternoon. I sprayed it off two weeks ago and it’s combining really well.”

Next week 3ha (7.4 acres) of NIAB-TAG trial plots would be ready to cut, along with the 40ha (100 acres) of Cassata winter barley.

“There have been quite a lot of green secondary tillers in it, so we had to spray it off a fortnight ago. We decided to leave it to dry naturally in the field, and get the rapeseed in first.

“I don’t think it will be very good at all – it’s certainly our worst crop this year. I think the nitrogen will be fairly high, which does concern me.”

Amazingly, some wheat had already been cut nearby, said Mr Beachell. “It must have died off because we don’t normally combine wheat in July up here.

“But my second wheats are coming on, so there shouldn’t be a massive gap after the barley.”

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Excalibur
Area: 20ha (50 acres
Yield: 4.3-6.2t/ha (1.75-2t/acre)