Archive Article: 2001/08/24
SOUTH
WHEAT was halfway home Tuesday and given good weather most will be in the bin by the bank holiday.
Many yields have been a pleasant surprise, but late-drilled crops and cuckoo corn are still to come.
"It is almost impossible to say what the trend is," says Soufflets James Marshall. "Yields have ranged from 2t/acre to 5t." Before last weekends rain quality was generally OK, though Malaccas specific weight is low, he adds. Bill Harbours experience at Gosmere Farm, near Faversham, Kent, supports that.
"It has done 11.7t/ha off 40ha, but the bushel weight is borderline at 74-75kg. Hagbergs 278-350 and proteins 14.2 and 13.7," he adds.
Barometer grower Tim Lock had a third of his wheat cut at Houghton Farm, near Arundel, West Sussex, when rain struck last Saturday. Charger yields off the top of chalk hills are above the norm, but Consort on river ground about average.
"Given a fine week we will finish wheat and spring barley – it will be just the beans left."
The end is in sight for Hants grower Brian Totman too. On Monday he had just 16ha (40 acres) of spring barley and January drilled wheat left at Portway Farm, near Andover.
Optic spring barley yielded a "good average" 6.2-6.8t/ha (2.5-2.75t/acre), Gerald oats about 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) and Malacca close to 10t/ha (4t/acre). "We are pleased with things if a bit surprised," he says.
Nitrogens on spring barley are generally in the malting range and screenings and specific weights good, says Mr Marshall.
"But the cuckoo corn has not been cut yet. Growers are going for the wheat first because they know [the barley] will only be feed."
Few pea samples have been seen, but at Gosmere Farm Mr Harbour reports quality good but yield poor at 4.6t/ha (38cwt/acre) with the variety Bunting. Also in Kent, but near Ashford, Martin Boulden reports one-off Nitouche doing 3t/ha (1.25t/acre).
"This is the first time we have grown peas for a while. Considering they were drilled in April that is not bad."