FW Farmer Focus writer Mark Ireland said winter crops “got away with the hot weather, the spring crops didn’t” at Grange Farm, Lincolnshire.

He was within half an hour of finishing 410ha of Optic spring barley, with variable results. “I haven’t been anywhere near the dryer to find out any details, but I’d say it is a very average crop with variable quality. Nitrogen levels were probably 1.85% on one field and 1.55% on another for no particular reason at all.”

New variety Tipple had yielded reasonably well, but he said it looked like screenings were high.

“We may have to pick and choose what goes in the malting bag.”

He also said spring beans looked an “absolute disaster” with very small beans.

In comparison, bushel weights of 125ha Hereward winter wheat were “excellent” at 79 – 82kg/hl. Xi19 on lighter land weighed 72 – 76kg/hl. Hagbergs for Hereward cut a week ago were fine. “There’s nothing to indicate they are starting to fall off.”

Mr Ireland said the dry weather had certainly affected the bushel weights. “The crop had looked very good but did not yield as well as hoped. It did exceed the pessimistic budget but then it was a very pessimistic budget.”

He added: “Progress is much better than last year. If the weather had held out we would have been done by last weekend. I think we should finish the Hereward in three days.”

• Crop: Spring barley
• Variety: Optic
• Area: 410ha
• Yield: N/A
• Quality: N 1.85 – 1.55%

• Crop: Winter wheat
• Variety: Hereward
• Area: 125ha
• Yield: N/A
• Quality: Bushel weight 79 – 82kg/hl

• Crop: Winter wheat
• Variety: Xi19
• Yield: N/A
• Quality: Bushel weight 72 – 76kg/hl