EAST
EAST
WINTER beans are providing pleasant surprises as combining draws to a close in the south of the region. But in the fens as much as 20% of the wheats were still uncut by the start of the week.
"Our members are all but finished and we are hearing some very good bean yields," says Camgrain manager Phil Darke. "One I know got 70t off 26 acres, and there are a lot of 2t/acre crops. Beans have come good after a few years of appalling yields."
Ian Scrafton, manager at Giffords Farm, St Ives finished cutting 97ha (240 acres) of Target and Punch just before the weekend. "We got 38-42cwt/acre – much better than the 30cwt/acre we expected. The worst was 31cwt of Target where we had rather too much weed."
Good heavy land, deep drilling and a comprehensive spray programme including two fungicides are the main reasons for the result, he believes.
Overall wheat yields in the Camgrain area are slightly up on last year, Mr Darke believes. But that reflects some very poor results from drought-stricken crops in Essex in 1996, he points out.
By contrast yields in the Fengrain region are very variable and probably 10-12% down on the very good output of 1996, says manager Chris Barnes. Quality is poorer than further south, he adds. "On specific weights we will probably struggle to average 73kg/hl."
Spring linseed at about 1.9t/ha (15cwt/acre) is out-yielding winter varieties. "But that wouldnt have been difficult this year," he says.
Barometer grower Philip Godfreys earlier fears for a disappointing harvest after the dry winter have been largely dispelled, with Rialto a consistently good performer both as first and second wheat. Sole disappointment was a field of Charger which went flat despite three applications of growth regulator. "We wont grow it again," he comments.