The Scottish grain harvest is several weeks behind normal with plenty of winter wheat and spring barley still to cut in the  cold and wet conditions.

The season has been very late for Martin Bridges at Moray Estates, near Elgin, Morayshire, with some wheat still to combine while spring barley is almost complete.

“It has been a cold summer and the odd dry day here and there does not help get things done,” he says.

See also: Winter wheat yields up 10%, spring barley nearly 18% ahead

Barley yields were above average but Mr Bridges has had grain skinning problems, when the outer layer of the grain, or husk, is lost and so can cause problems for maltsters.

He has seen the variety Propino with skinning of up to 8% of the grain, but adds that he has heard of crops showing skinning up to 20%.

“The constant wet-dry conditions mean we cannot stop it happening but luckily the maltsters have upped the tolerance to 8-10%,” he says.

His winter wheat crop is looking well with Mr Bridges anticipating good yields but it has been slow to ripen. 

“I need to get harvest done so I can drill barley and wheat, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now,” adds Mr Bridges.

“I need to get harvest done so I can drill barley and wheat, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now”
Martin Bridges, Moray Estates

Harvest has been extremely slow for Scott Campbell at Kirkton Farm, Kinellar, near Aberdeen, with 161ha still to combine.

“It has been frustrating as everything is extremely slow, with some wheat crops still not ripe,” he says.

The winter wheat variety Leeds has seen very good yields, but he still has more Leeds and also Horatio to cut.

“The wheat is just not getting enough sun to ripen it now and it is taking a lot to dry it out. Most of it has been combined at 23% moisture with some over 25%, just to get it done,” he says.

Grain nitrogen levels have been very low in spring barley with some signs of germination, and most grain came off the combine at 21% moisture.

“It is possibly one of the slowest harvests I have ever seen, it seems to be going on forever,” he adds.

Yorkshire

Combining is almost finished for Keith Snowball at JL Snowball & Partners, High Farm, Brandsby, north of York, with 800ha of cereals cut and only 4ha of spring barley and 60ha of beans left to harvest.

Spring barley has done very well, yielding 7.5t/ha on average, even on poorer ground.

“The yields have been better than in living memory and unheard of on some of the land,” says Mr Snowball.

Skyfall wheat has achieved yields of upwards of 12t/ha but has been lower in protein than Crusoe which yielded about 12t/ha.

“Mulika spring wheat has done well, yielding around 7.5t/ha with proteins of 14.9% but with a bushel weight of about 74kg/hl,” says Mr Snowball.

Winter beans are about ready to harvest and there is a fair bit of wheat left in the area but rains over the weekend have left the ground sodden.

Worcestershire

Harvest is very late for Andrew Goodman at Walgrove Farm, near Worcester, but he is almost finished with only 16ha of beans left to combine.

“It has not been too bad a harvest; it is just that it has taken so long.

“The beans are ready but we just need two or three dry days to dry them out,” he says

Wheat combining was wrapped up last week and produced the best yields Mr Goodman has ever seen at 8.6t/ha.

Oats also yielded well, with Mascarni and Gerald achieving above average at 8t/ha.

Devon

It has been a tricky harvest for Troy Stuart at Hill Barton Business Park, Clyst St Mary, near Exeter, with August being a difficult month.

“The main crop is complete, but there is just some spring rape left now.

“Apart from the rubbish weather, yields have been fantastic,” he says.

Winter wheat has averaged just over 9.88t/ha which is about 1.2t/ha above normal, for Revelation, Relay, Diego and Leeds.

“Revelations has been very good but they have all done well. It has been quite exceptional,” says Mr Stuart.

“Very little of the crop came off dry, with most at 16-17% moisture,” he added.