FW Barometer farmer Ben Atkinson had been cutting oilseed rape since Saturday (July 15) at Grange Farm, Lincolnshire. He said yields of Castille were “fairly average” at 3.75t/ha, coming in at 8 – 8.5% moisture. “It is very dry – nearly too dry.”

Winter wheat crops had “unnaturally died off two weeks early”, despite his heavy, full bodied, fertile land. He said harvest was probably a week or eight days ahead of usual, and so expected to start cutting wheat as soon as he had finished the rape.

Mr Atkinson said the yield variations were seen across land types rather than between varieties: “Crops on the heavy land have held on, but they are disappointing on gravel lands.”

He added: “Things will be poorer this year, definitely, in both yield and the working conditions.”

• Crop: Oilseed Rape
• Variety: Castille
• Area: 640ha OSR in total
• Yield: 3.75t/ha
• Quality: 8 – 8.5% moisture

For more harvest news from Ben Atkinson and other farmers see our Barometers’ Blog