Few combines have managed to turn a wheel this week, with rain holding up progress across the country.

In Norfolk, harvest started on 4 July for contractor Jason Armsby – but he hadn’t cut a thing since Friday (15 July).

The Pearl winter barley on light land didn’t yield very well, averaging about 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre). “One field would be 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) and the next would be less than 0.4t/ha (1t/acre). It just died off.”

Despite the rain, crops were not suffering, said Anthony Carr at Offord Hill Farm, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire.

His Cassia winter barley was not yet ready, while Carat, cut last week, performed well at 6.7-7.2t/ha (2.7-2.9t/acre).

“Considering we only had 11mm of rain from 1 March until the end of June, I am really pleased,” he said.

Yields were proving extremely variable in the Cambridgeshire area, where crops on light land had suffered in the drought, said Philip Darke at Camgrain.

Nitrogen contents had also been affected by yield, with lighter yielding crops presenting higher nitrogen levels. “Overall, nitrogen contents are probably at 1.9%, compared to 1.8% last year.

In Kent, winter barley had performed much better than expected at Peter Francesconi’s Dean Farm, Ashford.

“The best of it did over 7.4t/ha (3t/acre), which is better than I’d ever dreamt.” However, the later crops did not look so good, he added.

Further west, farmers had made a start on winter barley and oilseed rape harvest, and yields were pleasing so far, said Nick Matthews at Wessex Grain.

Winter barley was yielding about 8-9t/ha (3.2-3.6t/acre), with oilseed rape at 4-4.5t/ha (1.6-1.8t/acre), he said.

“We’ve started reasonably well and are quietly confident that will continue.”

In Devon, harvest was tentatively underway, and was not particularly early, said Duncan Lyon at Devon Grain. 

“With the wet weather we’re having it could be a late harvest if anything.”