Know How / Wheat / Harvest and crop storage

Once the combines are rolling, harvest technique and timing can have an impact on wheat yield and quality, in the same way as weather and crop agronomy can. See how to prepare for both bumper and difficult harvests, how to manage the increased workload and what to consider as harvest approaches. Keeping a harvested wheat crop in the best condition, free of pests and diseases in store, is essential for the grain’s end market value.

Case studies

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HARVEST

How did harvest go for our Arable Insights farmers?

It’s been a difficult stop-start harvest across the country, but how have our regular featured Arable Insights farmer panel fared? See also: Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: Wheat nearly done but spring barley to cut

Many growers will be finishing their winter wheat harvest this week, and spring barley is not far behind, except in Scotland where mixed weather has held back crop maturity. Somerset…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

HARVEST

Early winter wheat harvest down by 2t/ha in Dorset

Winter wheat harvest started two weeks earlier than usual for Dorset farm manager Tom Matthews, making him one of the earliest growers in the UK to cut wheat this season.…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Why Lincs grower opted for US-style grain storage system

Grain storage and handling facilities installed in the 1970s and 1980s are reaching the end of their working life, and the latest generation of drying silos offer several advantages over…

HARVEST

Video: Berkshire Farm Girl brings in the wheat harvest

Harvest wrapped-up last weekend at Rookery Farms, near Newbury, with a crop of Extase winter wheat destined for the milling market. Overall wheat yields came in at 10t/ha. We spoke…

Practical advice

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MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Strategy pointers for selling grain in a volatile market

Wheat growers are being urged to calculate their cost of production before selling any grain for harvest 2023, as input costs have risen sharply while wheat prices have drifted lower.…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Tips to achieve successful long-term grain storage

There are many factors to take into consideration when storing grain crops for the long term. Getting it wrong means quality will deteriorate, which can lead to significant financial losses.…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to dry grain more efficiently in a wet harvest

With showery summers predicted to become more common, now is a good time to appraise grain-drying facilities and reinvest where necessary to help deal with any extreme seasons to come.…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

How to prepare for ergot limits in cereals for harvest 2021

Growers need to prepare for new regulations covering maximum limits on ergot in cereals, to avoid loads being rejected by millers and merchants from harvest 2021 onwards.  The current 0.05%…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to sample your grain on farm to get the top price

Grain sampling can be a problematic area causing friction between arable growers and grain traders when it comes to price deductions. Testing for moisture contents and specific weights can often…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Why fusarium risk is rising in wheat and how to manage it

With rising incidence of fusarium ear blight and changes to mycotoxin legal limits on the horizon, experts are advising wheat growers to adopt a more water-tight, integrated approach to minimising…

Insights

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HARVEST

Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding winter wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2023’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

VARIETY SELECTION

Harvest 2022: Light levels lifted yields despite drought

Despite record-breaking summer temperatures and a lack of rain, winter wheat yields recorded from harvest 2022 were higher than many had anticipated. Crops made the most of the good growing…

HARVEST

Harvest 2022: The 5 top-yielding winter wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2021’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Should farms sell or chop straw with fertiliser prices high?

The value of straw, whether for power stations or traditional forage and bedding markets remains, buoyant, and many growers will be looking to take advantage of that. However, with high…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How farmer trial will test Canadian combine weed seed mill

A group of UK farmers is taking part in a ground-breaking research project to test the effectiveness of harvest weed seed control units developed by a Canadian company. This non-chemical…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Why grain analysis now could save on fertiliser next season

Farmers are being advised to get their grain analysed this harvest to help refine next season’s fertiliser decisions, with data showing the average uncertainty equates to £2,000 for an average…

VARIETY SELECTION

Variety verdict: Top-performing wheats and barleys of 2021

The combination of plants already under stress and a disease explosion that hit crops in late spring and early summer is thought to be behind the discrepancies seen in wheat…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How data analytics can help identify marginal farmland

The power of data analytics in improving decision making about future land use is being highlighted by a project at AHDB’s Strategic Farm East to use data to identify marginal…

VARIETY SELECTION

Harvest 2021: The 5 top-yielding winter wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2021’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Can grain nutrient analysis improve fertiliser use?

Grain nutrient analysis offers growers an effective way to improve input efficiency by diagnosing potential nutrient deficiencies, so management plans can be tweaked accordingly. Acting a bit like a post-mortem, grain…

HARVEST

Analysis: Cost of extreme weather on 2020 crop performance

The weather extremes in the hugely difficult 2019-20 cropping season provided a unique test of crop performance, with some new winter wheat varieties showing promise. From some of the wettest…

HARVEST

Harvest 2020: The 5 top-yielding wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2020’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

External resources

AHDB Grain storage guide

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HSE Grain dust

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AHDB Grain sampling guide

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AIC grain passport

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