Robert Ramsay was combining rape at West Mains of Kinblethmont, Arbroath, Angus, yesterday (14 August), with rain forecast for today.

“We started rape on Wednesday – we had a horrendous amount of rain before and we started cutting when it was ridiculously wet, but it dried incredibly quickly on the hill,” said Mr Ramsay.

By yesterday it was down to 11% moisture and the combine was about a third of the way through the 80ha (198 acres).

Mr Ramsay hoped to finish the rape harvest in time to drill next season’s rape before combining the wheat and spring barley.

He had struggled to get the winter barley straw baled in the rain, and ended up having to burn it before ploughing it in. The Sequel, finished a week ago, yielded better than average, he said.

Crop: Oilseed rape
Area: 80ha (198 acres)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Sequel
Area: 50ha (123 acres)
Yield: > average

Crop: Winter wheat
Variety: Alchemy
Area: 159ha (393 acres)

Crop: Spring barley
Varieties: Publican, Quench and Optic
Area: 60ha (148 acres)