We're getting plenty of calls here at FW Towers asking what people can do when their crops are as good as a write-off.

Across the north and the west of the country oats, barley and wheat have gone completely flat in places and has 2 or 3 inch sprouts in the ears.

What can be done at that stage? Has anyone dealt with this before? We've had suggestions of mowing it and chopping it with a forager or baling it. Is there any feed value in it? Is there an additive that can be used?

weve got about 5 acres of rape we are going tohave to chop, we send it to another farm for drying nad storage as our drier doesnt like rape. we had 15 acres left to do yesterday and got 10 of them, they hadnt been sprayed because of the weathewr so left them to die of naturally but the 2 trailes went together with it this morning they came back at 17% moisture and with 19% rubbish in it. with them refusing to take anymore of it.

we got a fair bit of wheat thats flat but its managebale at the moment after the weekend that could be a different sstory though

As those in the far south seem to be having one of our normal harvests I will try to explain how we do it.

Cut when the road is dry, yes I know you can wring the water out with your hand but combines can and do work perfectly well at 40% grain moisture.

Get a very large sack of lifters, you will need them all.

Be patient very patient combine outputs at 40% are terrible.

Buy a propcorn applicator or a large amount of caustic soda.

Roundup does kill second growth in the ear but you might have to spray twice if you have had a long wait.

Cattle and sheep do perfectly well on 40% grain.

If you have a mobile drier put a couple of dry tonnes in first but with diesel at these prices are you nuts chuck it in the diet feeder with the caustic.

A rough guide to whether it is combinable is, if you can get your combine to move and your wellies under the crop straw without lifting it on with your hand you can still pick it up provided that when you kick it off the wellie the roots stay in the ground.

Yes your combine will fill up with crud and yes you will have to wash scrape chisel etc it off

Yes you will get more breakdowns.

Do not "wait for a dry day" at this time of year there are none left.

Will it be worth it? All I can say is it has been so far for us, but what do I know we will not start until October.

I'm glad i don't grow winter wheat as the wheat board are calling for only #1 (Knowing there is none)..Which i think is impossible now. Most cereals are going to be dropped several grades but generally there is always somewhere it can go..(CHEAP)....But the pig sector is bankrupt now too...?.Once again......Avoid  the "CWB"....?Poor quality oats are still taken for export..?

Hi Bluepaint.Whot are the Prairies, Looking like at this time,it is just comeing up to there harvest is it not.I worked in Alberta once.Are you sure you are not in the UK ??? Best Wishs.JOHN.

This has been some really good advice. Right now I think FW should forget about any articles involving machinery with discs as these will be next to no use for anyone now, and consider an article about what can be done and how to combine in these sodden conditions.

..John white.................Well john i'm not sure if youre familiar with our landsape but we're flat as a pool table with few trees .

Generally ...ugly ,Staged germination from dry spring/wet summer,Too wet to do last weed sprays so very green and dirty stubble ,Making ruts combining but not as bad as other areas that have feet of water.......Most people are panicking so maybe about 50%done as of last 2 days.

Some nice first crop hay but most second crop is finnished......Other areas have not even got 1st crop so watch this space.

There will be very little winter wheat as land is too wet and this week is final seeding date for insurance.....There will be a lot of half assed zero till jobs next spring.......Bring on the food shortage..........?

I think it is a bit of a divided issue - people with stock, or with farmers needing feed closeby should be able to find a home. Its the arable units with no driers that will be stuck.

I concur that co-ops etc are not taking very wet wheat. Fully sprouted wheat will be hardest to house, and this spell of warm will be speeding them on. Will have poor bushel and no hagberg to compound the problem. Those with ambient air will struggle with over 20% wheat. Word is that merchants are offering £50 a ton for 30% wet and sprouted grain as available.

           I hear that wheat treated pre harvest with roundup is more prone to sprouting in the head than untreated wheat. Apparently because it is more thoroughly ripened off. Perhaps that induces breaking of dormancy; I don't know. Can anyone comment on this?

Only anecdotally. Perhaps it is to do with the crop just being riper earlier? Our robigus and consort was only really ripe at the end of the last week of August drying naturally.

AllyR............................Actually we found the opposite this year as the naturally ripened wheat sprouted worse.....And once again swathed crops we're ok....Amazing..? Seems with swathing if you can pick it up within 2 weeks of cutting it's good and actually improves bushell weight and protein.....We're a notoriously wet province yet we find swathing to be an advantage.........Why did europe never adopt the whole thing of swathing........I know that if i ever returned to britain i'd be bringing my "Macdon" with me.......?

          Thanks for that Tesla and Bluepaint. It is interesting to hear these views and results. I was very worried about my oilseed rape this year because it was a very heavy crop (vegetatively); swathed in the wet; and, because it was so laid, it was swathed onto the deck almost. After a couple of efforts to get it harvested I landed with a superb drouthie and sunny day and got the rest in at between 10% and 12%. As long as we get wind swathing seems to be okay.