Ian Moncrieff was on combining yesterday (12 August) at Berry Hill Farm, Dundee, trying to get his winter barley in before more rain arrived.

“The forecast is very bad so we’re trying to get it in while we can,” he said. The Amarena six-row barley was coming in at 18-19% moisture and was yielding about average at 7.4-8.6t/ha (3-3.5t/acre).

Having cut 32ha (80 acres), Mr Moncrieff had another 24ha (60 acres) to go. “It’s a slow job – two to three hours at a time,” he said.

The Decanter spring barley was about two weeks away and looked well, while the winter wheat looked a bit mixed and would come ripe at about the same time.

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Amarena
Area: 32ha (80 acres)
Yield: 7.4-8.6t/ha (3-3.5t/acre)

Crop: Spring barley
Variety: Decanter
Area: 121ha (300 acres)

Crop: Winter wheat
Varieties: Istabraq and Alchemy
Area: 121ha (300 acres)