E MIDLANDS
E MIDLANDS
YEAR of the rape, not the barley. That is how Velcourts Keith Norman assesses harvest progress.
Rape yields of 3.4t/ha (27 cwt/acre) on brash soil, a farm average of 5t/ha (40 cwt/acre) and a top yield of 5.25t/ha (42 cwt/acre) on heavier land all point to that conclusion.
Barometer grower Justin Blackwood achieved good winter barley yields on land near Grange Farm, Great Brington, Northants. Muscat gave 8.64t/ha (3.5t/acre), Lagune 9.26t/ha (3.75t/acre) and partly laid Gleam 7.9t/ha (3.2t/acre).
Froidure winter peas suffered in the wet, giving just 3.95t/ha (1.6t/acre). "We expected 2t. But a lot of peas rotted, and some didnt finish."
Farmer and contractor Colin Hinchley of Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Notts, has taken Regina at 7.8t/ha (3.1t/acre) and Gaelic at just over 8.9t/ha (3.5t/acre). "Thats where we like to see it." However, Regina nitrogen at a fraction over 2% is not good.
Hanna doing 8.28t/ha (3.3t/acre) with a nice clean sample and 68kg/ha specific weight on challenging soils at Garendon Park Farms, Loughborough, has pleased manager, Giles Budgen. Apex oilseed rape also looks good, averaging 3.76t/ha (30cwt/acre) with a better seed sample than last year.