Anthony Carr hasn’t combined anything for a week at Offord Hill Farm, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, but crops are not yet suffering.

“We’ve got 24ha (60 acres) of Cassia winter barley, which isn’t really ready. We only have an ancient 1962 grain drier so have to pick and choose when we cut.”

The Carat winter barley, cut last week (w/e 15 July) performed well, considering the dry spring.

One block of 23ha (56 acres) averaged 7.2t/ha (2.9t/acre), with another block coming off at 6.7-6.9t/ha (2.7-2.8t/acre).

“That’s 1.9t/ha (0.75t/acre) down on a normal year. Considering we only had 11mm of rain from 1 March until the end of June, I am really pleased,” he said.
 
“The best of the fields were the two that were drilled early and were well established before the cold weather set in.

“The third field was drilled just two weeks later, but it had not tillered as well before the cold set in, and subsequently struggled to catch up.”

Mr Carr’s oilseed rape was late this year, following chemical burn and frost damage over the winter. “That’s still 10 days away. We shall be into wheat before the rape.

“The wheat looks quite thin. We’ve got Robigus and Scout, which are nowhere near ready, and 12ha (30 acres) of Warrier, which will soon be ripe if we get some sun.”

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Carat
Yield: 6.7-7.2t/ha (2.7-2.9t/acre)