Peter Wombwell has cut 65ha of oilseed rape at and around Rectory Farm, Ickleton, Essex, and is so far extremely disappointed with yields.

“There are no harvest highlights here – it hasn’t been a good start,” he said. Cutting his own PR46W21 and other varieties for neighbours, yields had been very poor at just 3-3.5t/ha.

“The agronomist thinks it’s verticilium wilt, but I suppose harvesting anything in the first week of July is never going to be good,” said Mr Wombwell. “Hopefully the later rape will improve.”

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Combining today, yields had improved to 3.77t/ha, so were starting to creep up, he added.

With no winter barley to cut, the next crop would be either peas or winter wheat. “Depending on the sunshine, the wheat is 10 days away at least,” said Mr Wombwell.

“Skyfall will be the first to cut, so it will be interesting to see how that does. It all looks alright, but you never really know until you get the combine in.”