Farmers Weekly Farmer Focus writer John Jeffrey said he had finished winter barley harvest in record time in Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders. Sixty-one hectares of Sequel yielded 6.75t/ha, which was slightly behind on last year.

“We’ve had no rain in June and July, so yields have suffered.”

The crop was coming in dry at 12 – 13% moisture with a bushel weight of 64kg/hl.

Mr Jeffrey was half way through cutting oilseed rape, with Caracas performing better than Fortress. He said the first field was “a little disappointing” with yields of 3.37t/ha.

“The rape is very dry. It is the earliest we’ve ever combined it.”

He said quality seemed to be ok, and he expected to finish cutting as soon as it stopped raining.

Mr Jeffrey added that Solstice, Robigus and Claire winter wheat would be ready to cut by next week. “The wheat looks awful. It dried and ripened too quickly so I don’t hold any hopes for it.”

• Crop: Winter barley
• Variety: Sequel
• Area: 61ha
• Yield: 6.75t/ha
• Quality: 12 – 13% moisture, bushel weight 64kg/hl

• Crop: Oilseed rape
• Variety: Caracas and Fortress
• Area: N/A
• Yield: 3.37t/ha