Nearly two-thirds of winter wheat and almost a third of spring barley is now harvested in the UK with oilseed rape largely complete apart from some scattered northern areas.

Yield estimate for winter wheat and spring barley are well above long-term averages following the trends in winter barley and oilseed rape, reported crop scientist group Adas.

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Overall, some 60% of the UK combinable crop area has been cut according to Adas’s latest weekly report up to Tuesday 1 September. This includes 100% of winter barley, 98% of oilseed rape, 60% of winter wheat and 30% of spring barley.

Most crops harvested over the last week needed drying, with moisture contents of cereals 14-22% and oilseed rape 9-15%. Hagberg levels in wheat are reducing where harvest has been delayed, it added.

• Winter barley – 100% of the crop is harvested with average yields of 7.2-7.4t/ha, a 10-14% rise on the 10-year average of 6.5t/ha. Quality is good with most malting crops reaching specifications and samples having good specific weights.
• Oilseed rape – 98% of the crop is cut with average yields of 3.6-3.8t/ha, a 6-12% rise on the 10-year average of 3.4t/ha. Quality is generally good with oil contents 42-48%.
• Winter wheat – 60% of the crop is combined with average yields of 8.3-8.6t/ha, a rise of 6-10% above the 10-year average of 7.8t/ha. Despite wet weather, quality is acceptable with average specific weights of 78kg/hl, hagberg 270 and protein contents from Group 1 and Group 2 milling wheats at 12.6%.
• Spring barley – 30% of the crop is in the barn with yields at 5.9-6.2t/ha, 9-15% above the 10-year average of 5.4t/ha. Quality is reasonable with average specific weights of 66kg/hl and nitrogen content 1.6%.
• Oats – 55% of the crop is off the field with average yields of 5.7-6.0t/ha in line with the 10-year average of 5.7t/ha.