Barley and oilseed rape yields are similar to last year at Robert Timmis’s Home Farm, Lilleshall, Shropshire.

Cassia winter barley yielded 7.9t/ha (3.2t/acre) – slightly better than last year, he said.

And Cubic oilseed rape came in at 5.16 t/ha (2.09t/acre), which has since been dried to 4.74t/ha (1.92t/acre) – about the same as last harvest.

“I chose the Cubic because it is early to mature and I wanted to spread the harvest workload.”

Mr Timmis was now moving into a block of Castille, which was not yielding quite so well. It had an oil content of 42%, with the Cubic at 44%.

He had another 162ha (400 acres) of oilseed rape to cut before moving onto oats, spring barley and 400ha (1000 acres) of winter wheat.

“The oats and spring barley are on light land, so I’ve no doubt they will have suffered in the drought.

“I think wheat on the heavy land will have held up alright, but it, too, will have suffered on the lighter land.”

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Cubic
Area: 28ha (69 acres)
Yield: 4.74t/ha (1.92t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Cassia
Area: 53ha (130 acres)
Yield: 7.9t/ha (3.2t/acre)