Charlie Edgley from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said harvest has been much easier than last year, but yields have been very average.

Einstein and Soissons averaged 8t/ha, Hereward and Malacca 7.5t/ha, and Sokrates just under 7.5t/ha. Most bushel weights varied between 75 – 79kg/hl, but Malacca was disappointing at 70 – 71kg/hl. He said as it is a continuous wheat and the crop suffered from take-all.

Mr Edgley said he had never seen such variation in yields before, with some crops doing 6t/ha – 12t/ha within the same field. He said this was probably because different parts of land can hold more moisture.

Harvest finished on September 7 last year compared to August 29 this year, with 50 hours less combining and only 300 tonnes needing drying. He was pleased with this due to high diesel prices and because most of his crop needed drying last year.

Next season he plans to grow Solstice instead of Malacca due to the variety not achieving milling premiums.

• Crop/Variety: Einstein winter wheat


• Area: 680ha wheat in total


• Yield: 8t/ha


• Quality: Bushel weight 75kg/hl

• Crop/Variety: Soissons winter wheat


• Area: 680ha wheat in total


• Yield: 8t/ha


• Quality: Bushel weight 79kg/hl

• Crop/Variety: Hereward winter wheat


• Area: 680ha wheat in total


• Yield: 7.5t/ha


• Quality: Bushel weight 78kg/hl

• Crop/Variety: Sokrates winter wheat


• Area: 680ha wheat in total


• Yield: under 7.5t/ha


• Quality: Bushel weight 77kg/hl

• Crop/Variety: Malacca winter wheat


• Area: 680ha wheat in total


• Yield: 7.5t/ha


• Quality: Bushel weight 70 – 71kg/hl