Wheat harvest will be underway this afternoon (30 July) at Martin Boulden’s Court Lodge Farm, Aldington, Kent.

“We’ve finished the oilseed rape and winter barley, we’re doing the oats today and we’ll try some wheat later on,” he said.

Rape yields were poor, with the exception of hybrid Trabant, which had withstood last autumn’s conditions better, and yielded 4.3t/ha (1.75t/acre). Castille yielded 3.7t/ha. (1.5t/acre), Kalif for seed made 4.3t/ha (1.75t/acre) and Astrid grown on heavy land averaged about 2.9t/ha (1.2t/acre).

Saffron winter barley came in about average, at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) and 13% moisture, and the Gerald winter oats were currently yielding the same.

“We’ll be doing some Claire winter wheat later today,” said Mr Boulden. He had 162ha (400 acres) of Claire to cut, with the same area of Hereward and Solstice, respectively. “It all looks very good.”

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Trabant
Area: 32ha (80 acres)
Yield: 4.3t/ha (1.75t/acre)

Variety: Castille
Area: 49ha (120 acres)
Yield: 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre)

Variety: Kalif
Area: 10ha (25 acres)
Yield: 4.3t/ha (1.75t/acre)

Variety: Astrid
Area: 142ha (350 acres)
Yield: 2.9t/ha (1.2t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Saffron
Area: 36ha (90 acres)
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)

Crop: Winter oats
Variety: Gerald
Area: 11ha (27 acres)
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)