
Two-thirds of the way through combining the 34ha (84 acres) of Fuego spring beans at Leckerstone Farm, Dunfermline, John Hutcheson is anticipating some late nights tending his batch drier.
"We're three weeks later harvesting them this year," he said. "Last year we were done by mid-September. I think it's mainly because of the dull weather we had in July.
"They're yielding OK at about 4.5t/ha, but they're still over 20% moisture.
"It's taking all day to dry 10t, though we could do two batches if I stay up to midnight."
With only a third of the crop safely dried so far, that looks a distinct possibility to avoid the risk of the rest heating in store and spoiling.
On the plus side, wheat drilling has been going well with about two-thirds of his 486ha (1200 acres) sown.
"We're now back on min-till with wheat after oats and the Simba Solo's giving us some good seed-beds. Previously where we'd been ploughing after wheat for barley the soil was coming up quite raw and wet."
Last season's Alchemy and Robigus have been joined by newcomer, the soft feed Monty which Mr Hutcheson hopes will be suitable for distilling.
Should bad weather prevent the balance being sown before the end of the month he will switch to Optic spring barley, for malting.
"I heard someone recently got £237/t for some," he said.
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