Einstein wheat has yielded well below the farm average of 10t/ha (4t/acre) at Richard and Susie Monnington’s Park Farm, Ringmer, East Sussex. It produced 8.4t/ha (3.36t/acre) at 14.7% moisture.

Mrs Monnington believed yields to be down, due to the very dry April. She said: “The wheat, despite the very wet winter, looked very well until March, when like many other farmers in the area, and as advised by our agronomist, we cut back on fertiliser applications. We were only to be caught by the very dry period in April, when the crop stopped growing. This is undoubtedly when the damage was done to the yield, and subsequent nitrogen applications couldn’t make up for lost ground.”

But things could have been worse.” The farm received 34.4mm in the storm of July 20 when two miles up the road, 50mm fell, causing localised flooding.  “The crop lent a bit but didn’t go flat and travelling on the ground hasn’t been a problem – in fact the ground is cracking again already. So we consider ourselves very lucky compared to many other parts of the country”.

Mrs Monnington hoped the Foot and Mouth could be controlled, ”if it can’t be contained and we see the mass slaughtering of 2001, this may reflect on the wheat price they said

• Crop: Winter wheat
o Variety: Einstein
o Yield: 8.4T/ha
o Moisture: 14.7%.

*Harvest Highlights 2007 is sponsored by RAGT