Heavy rain over the weekend has stymied any chances of combining today (8 August) at Balgone Farms, North Berwick, East Lothian.

“It’s been pretty constant since Saturday lunchtime, and the forecast is fairly awful. I don’t think we’ll get much done this week,” said James Grant-Suttie.

So far he had cut about half the oilseed rape and had finished Cassata winter barley.

“We had a dry spring and the winter barley didn’t tiller as well as we’d hoped. We’d expected it to yield below average, but it came in at or above average, at 8t/ha (3.2t/acre) off the combine.”

However, the Excalibur oilseed rape, which had looked excellent throughout the growing season, proved disappointing.

“We had really hoped for 5t/ha (2t/acre) because we’d thrown everything at it. But it came off at 4.5t/ha (1.8t/acre).”

Mr Grant-Suttie had one 20ha (50-acre) block of rapeseed which was ready to cut, and another which would be ripe in about a week.

Wheat was likely to be ready before some of the spring barley, in about two and a half weeks time, he said.

“We’ve got a little bit of spring barley which is leaning pretty heavily, but there’s not much damage yet.

“The Gallant wheat looks good; if this week is a write off but next week brightens up it may be dry enough to get at.”

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Cassata
Area: 60ha (150 acres)
Yield: 8t/ha (3.2t/acre)

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Excalibur
Area: 40ha (100 acres)
Yield: 4.5t/ha (1.8t/acre)