Model Farm enjoys best of the weather
Stephen Sant has managed to dodge the showers at Model Farm, Hanchurch, Staffordshire, with five dry days in a row.
“We normally get quite a lot of rain here, so the wheat had a robust fungicide programme, and it’s a nice bright colour,” he said.
Today, (24 August) he was combining Viscount first wheat for a neighbour, which was yielding 10t/ha (4t/acre).
His own first wheats would not be ready until the end of next week. But second wheats Diego and Grafton had done well, also yielding 10t/ha (4t/acre).
“They could be more than that over a weighbridge, because the bushelweights are so high.”
Cassia winter barley had performed well, at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre), but oilseed rape had exceeded all expectations with an average yield of 4.44t/ha (1.8t/acre).
“Most of the varieties yielded about the same. But we had some Cubic on 5.7ha (14 acres) of virgin rapeseed ground, which yielded the best we’ve ever had, at 5.5t/ha (2.2t/acre) and 48% oil.”
Crop: Oilseed rape
Varieties: Cubic, D05, W21, Excalibur and Expower
Area: 40ha (100 acres)
Yield: 4.44t/ha (1.8t/acre)
Crop: Winter wheat
Varieties: Diego and Grafton
Area: 30ha (75 acres)
Yield: 10t/ha (4t/acre)
Variety: Viscount
Area: 8ha (20 acres)
Yield: 10t/ha (4t/acre)
Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Cassia
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)