Essex farmer Arnold Hitchcock has harvested 40ha (100 acres) of Cordiale wheat with promising results.

It was yielding 9.88 t/ha (4 t/acre) with 84 kg/hl specific weight, 270 hagberg falling number and 11.2% protein.

“The yield and specific weight is superb, but unfortunately the protein levels weren‘t great.”

Mr Hitchcock said that the crop looked “absolutely fantastic”.

“Because it‘s high yielding and early maturing, Cordiale helps to spread out my harvest nicely, so if the protein isn‘t good enough, I‘ll just grow it as feed wheat.”

He grows 1,200ha (3,000 acres) of wheat on the farm which lies on the Essex, Herts border.

“Wheat yields look like they‘re going to be quite exciting, but we‘re not counting our chickens too early.”

Richmond is the next variety Mr Hitchcock hopes to get underway with: “If the weather‘s good we‘ll start with a vengeance on Monday.”

However, the Canberra and Recital oilseed rape wasn‘t as successful as his first wheat harvest.

“It‘s been an expensive crop to grow. We‘ve struggled with weeds and pigeons which are expensive to keep under control and in the end, I only got 1 t/acre (2.47 t/ha).”

If prices don‘t improve or yields don‘t go back to his five year average, Mr Hitchcock said he wouldn‘t grow oilseed rape again when the next season is over.

“I‘m giving it another go because I want to know if I can grow it, but this might be the last year we grow oilseed rape.”

Mr Hitchcock‘s Pearl winter barley yielded 6.42 t/ha (2.6 t/acre). Although yields were pretty average, quality was good he noted.