Send us your views on harvest progress/prospects: Karen.Willmer@rbi.co.uk

WHEAT CROPS are ripening rapidly in many southern areas and prospects generally look good, according to latest reports.

While many growers beginning barley and oilseed rape combining are reporting average yields, a number are more optimistic about potential wheat yields.

Cornwall farmer John Moss is disappointed with the early yield of his Carat barley at 5.6t/ha. “They won’t be the best crops but they are good, average fields.”

He was optimistic about wheat crops, adding “they are looking very well.”

Siberia winter barley on David Hues’s farm in Wiltshire has yielded slightly below last year at 7.5t/ha, but he is relieved to not need the dryer thanks to settled weather.

Other crops are looking well, particularly first wheats, but he fears second wheats could have been affected by the hot, dry weather.

The lack of rain is also a concern for Kent farmer, Jonathan Tipples. “The crops are all burnt up. There is no doubt the crops will be affected.”

With only eight inches of rain since January, he expects his Einstein and Welford winter wheats to have been “really affected.”

See below for the full regional reports and watch out for FWi’s full Harvest Highlights section coming very soon.

South

John Moss, Cornwall
John Moss harvested 16 hectares of Carat barley on a customer’s farm in Cornwall, with results potentially “looking promising”.

The bushel weight of 70kg/hl was “about average” but the early yield of 5.6t/ha was “disappointing”, he admitted.

At 13.8% moisture no drying was needed.

Mr Moss said: “They won’t be the best crops but they are good, average fields”. The straw was “attractive, with a yield nearly as much as the crop!”

By contrast, the wheat was “looking very well”.

Peter Francesconi, Kent
Peter Francesconi is worried about nitrogen levels after combining 20ha of Pearl winter barley which looked “quite yellow”, on Dean Farm near Ashford, Kent.

Yielding 7.5t/ha it is “not quite as good” as last year, however it is “generally good and we are quite happy”.

“The weather is nice and hot so the crop comes in dry, which saves us money on drying,” he said.

And at 14% moisture, he confirmed he would “be happy as long as it stays dry”.

Mark Orlick, Isle of Wight
“It’s a very dry season down on the island,” was the message from Mark Orlick, as they prepared for a 200ha harvest on Newbarton Farm, East Cowes, Isle of Wight.

They expected the oilseed rape to come in at 4t/ha, but “it is on the floor and needs to be cut”.

The Soissons and Hereward wheat was also “going off rapidly in the heat” and he expected it to yield 8t/ha, which is “fairly similar to last year”.

“If we’re lucky things will be better than last year in terms of yield”, Mr Orlick said. “Things generally should be ok.”

Commenting on the low commodity prices, he was philosophical: “There’s not much we can do about it.”

David Hues, Wiltshire
The harvest is “going well and very easy in this weather”, said David Hues of Galteemore Farm, Beckhampton, Wiltshire.

Having cut his Siberia winter barley at 7.5t/ha, he claims “it is not as good as last year”.

The bushel weight of 62kg/hl was also “definitely lower than last year”, however he added: “It’s a relief to be able to combine without the dryer.”

Mr Hues is waiting for Expert winter oilseed rape to come next week (w/c July 18).

Other crops are “looking well, particularly the first wheats, but the second wheats have been affected by the heat”.

Jonathan Tipples, Kent
Lack of rain is a real issue for Kent farmer Jonathan Tipples. “The crops are all burnt up,” he said.

Having had no proper rain through May and June at 260ha Reed Court Farm, Marden, Mr Tipples is worried because “there is no doubt the crops will be affected”.

He will start cutting Expert oilseed rape next week (w/c July 18) because it is “looking very dry”. Optimistically, he said: “We hope that it will be ok.”

But with only eight inches of rain since January he expects that his Einstein and Welford winter wheats “really will have been affected”.

Paul Carter, Dorset
Things were “looking quite good” for Paul Carter having cut 50ha of Carat winter barley on Sherbourne Castle Estates in Dorset.

He said he was happy with the 7.5t/ha yield which is the same as last year.

At 13.5% moisture, Mr Carter was glad to have the hot weather, however it has been slightly cooler today (July 15).

The oilseed rape and wheat were also potentially “looking good too”, with the former expected to be fit two to three days earlier than he expected.

Mr Carter said: “The crops have ripened quite rapidly, especially the oilseed rape.”

He believes the outlook is good and that he will be on budget for this year.

West

Charles Cotterall-Dormer
It has been a very early harvest for Charles Cotterall-Dormer at Rousham Farms near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Today (July 15) he completed cutting 80ha of Carat winter barley. He said: “Things have gone very well so far.”

The 7.5t/ha yield was “more than it was last year”, and he attributed the 13% moisture and early harvest to the “drilling hot” weather.

“The harvest was very early this year. We don’t usually start until the first week of August.”

East

Peter Wombwell, Essex
“There has just been a terrible drought this year,” reports Peter Wombwell at Rectory Farm, Saffron Walden, Essex.

“The crops have only had 11 inches of rain since drilling in September, so things are not looking as good as they could.”

Having cut 16ha of Winner oilseed rape, the yield was 3.75t/ha which was “depressed from the drought, without a doubt”.

The heat had also affected the peas, Mr Wombwell said. “The pods just aborted and shut down.”

He predicted the wheat to be ready in around 10 days, but it has “burnt out and yield will be down from so little rain”.

“This year is really not going to be a good one for us.”