A dry start to the day allowed John Goodchild of Bartlow Estate near Cambridge to resume combining his oilseed rape at 7.30 this morning.

Some 260ha (650 acres) had been cut so far, from a total area of 540ha (1350acres) – made up of ES Astrid, Castille and NK Bravour.

Yields ranged from 1.25t/ha to 3.9t/ha on the mix of sandy/ chalky and heavier clay-based land. He said crops on the light land had suffered from the April drought, but he was pleasantly surprised by those on the heavier soils.

Mr Goodchild said he was dodging between the showers to get crops in, and the variation in yields was more down to soil type, not variety.

He also had Robigus, Einstein, Hereward and Solstice winter wheat on a mixture of land types that; “have had enough rain!”

• Crop: Oilseed rape
• Area total: 540ha
• Varieties: Castille, ES Astrid
• Area cut: 260ha
• Yield: between 1.25- 4.00 t/ha approx.
• Quality: NA yet