Ian Moncrieff is yet to cut any wheat at all at Berry Hill Farm, Dundee, and is looking forward to a decent spell of weather.

“It looks like it is clearing up after two months of torture. The malting barley harvest has been a bloodbath – there have been a lot of rejections for germination.”

Mr Moncrieff’s Optic had all made the malting grade, but Decanter was below spec, and Oxbridge was a disaster.

“I think the barley will have averaged 2.5t/acre (6.2t/ha) over the 500 acres (200ha).” Although the remaining 73ha (180 acres) was still standing, it would now be suffering from germination problems, he said.

As well as the spring barley, there were 77ha (190 acres) of Alchemy, Robigus and Istabraq winter wheat to cut.

And conditions, after 60mm of rain in 36 hours last week, were appalling. “I fitted a 4WD kit to my combine, which has been a Godsend.

“It has kept it on top of the topsoil, but it’s like a quagmire underneath. I’ve been lucky – there have been a lot of combines stuck around here.”

Crop: Spring barley
Varieties: Optic, Decanter and Oxbridge
Area: 200ha (500 acres)
Yield: 2.5t/ha (6.2t/acre)