Its up and running after some wet weather delays
Its up and running after some wet weather delays
Harvest is hotting up, with
both barley and oilseed rape
coming in. In the first of our
reports we bring you the early
yield and quality indications
from across the country.
Edited by Andrew Swallow
EAST ANGLIA
HARVEST got off to a rain delayed start across East Anglia this week with early barley varieties and swathed oilseed rape.
Indications are that barley quality is good, with low screenings.
In Norfolk, Dalgetys Trevor Gates says nothing was done before this week, but further south and west, Beds-based merchant Banks Agriculture has had a few samples in from lightland farms.
"We have no yields yet but quality has been reasonable," says Jonathan Hoyland.
"A feed crop of Sunrise combined at 17% moisture and dried to 14.2% had a specific weight of 72kg/hl and 1.8% nitrogen. Regina from the Ipswich area combined at 20% gave a decent sample with 1.78% nitrogen and few screenings."
In Cambs some Gleam was combined on David Lentons Park Farm at Brampton last week.
"It yielded 3t/acre, about average for sharp gravel, with a specific weight of 65kg."
Nearby, at Gravely, Robert Eayrs has also made a start. "We have done 70 acres of Sunrise, it yielded 3.25t/acre which is about normal. Quality is also good with a specific weight of 67kg. I expect to get into Regina and swathed rape by the weekend."
In Essex, Robert Howie does not expect to be into barley before the weekend, but he was nearly halfway through his 350ha (865 acres) of oilseed rape earlier this week.
"We started at 17-18% moisture, but it was down to 10-11% when we finished," he says. Some of the swathed Pronto has been dried and delivered for a premium.
EAST ANGLIA SO FAR
• Early barley average or better.
• Quality reasonable.
• Only swathed OSR taken so far.
• Regional contact: Edward Long. Tel: 01440-786293, E-mail: eghlong@hotmail.com
Harvest is underway from the Wash to the Severn on both barley and oilseed rape. Here, David Lennox (left) and combine driver Robert Manger hitch up the header on Mr Lennoxs TX65 Plus, before cutting 13ha of Escort oilseed rape near Great Wigboro, Essex, last weekend. "The yield was all right, but nothing wonderful," says Mr Lennox.
SOUTH
COMBINES finally got going on most farms in the south this week, about a week later than normal.
Samples of barley are rather thin, but it is early days, and oilseed rape harvest has hardly started.
"We had a bit of Pastoral off a light gravel field and it was not a pretty sight," says Bartholomews of Chichester trader Jonathan Fulford. Some Regina sampled is not good either, he adds.
Growers Simon and Richard Payton at Fontwell, Chichester, West Sussex, harvested 34ha (85 acres) of Regina, last week at 16.5-17% moisture. Yield, estimated at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) and nitrogen content at 1.75% are about average but screenings were a disappointing 10% against their normal 4%.
"But we expect the rest of the crop, about 115 acres, to be of better quality because it flowered during a fine week," says Simon Payton.
Oilseed rape is also late, and even in East Sussex growers were only just getting into the crop. John Heeks planned to start his 97ha (240 acres) of glyphosate desiccated Apex, Pronto and Madrigal at Lewes on Tuesday.
"It looks fairly promising and should yield over 3.7t/ha, compared with 3.2t/ha last year," he says.
But on Hayling Island, Hants, farmers weekly barometer grower Simon Walters says it will be August before his 50ha (124 acres) of direct cut, non-desiccated, Columbus is ready.
SOUTH SO FAR
• Week late starting.
• Early barley quality questionable.
• Some OSR not fit for fortnight.
• Regional contact: Brian Lovelidge. Tel/fax 01580-891354.
MIDLANDS
A FEW early birds in the south of the region cut odd fields last weekend and most were hoping to get combining by mid-week.
Northants-based merchant Charles Jackson had seen only one early maturing Plaisant barley sample on Monday. "It is testing at 1.7% nitrogen and 20% screenings with an average 6.2t/ha."
In Bucks, Charlie Edgley cut Muscat at under 15% moisture at Kensham Farms, Cadmore End, Bucks, on Saturday. "At 2.8-3t/acre, yields are above our normal average of 2.5t/acre, with good bushels of 65-68kg/hl also recorded."
Some, such as Oxon grower Michael Haines, say barley would have gone sooner but for the weather.
"Crops were very fit when we eventually started on Sunday – Vertige was at 18% moisture. Typically, we average 3t/acre on our medium brash and so far yields look only moderate."
Staffs farmer Robert Cartmail also reports only average yields from his Jewel. "It is coming in at 16-17% moisture and yield is nothing promising at 2.5-2.75t/acre."
SOUTH-WEST
OILSEED rape and winter barley harvest has started but only on a handful of farms.
Farmer and contractor John Moss reports Fanfare cut on July 14, yielding 7.5t/ha (3t/acre) and specific weight of 70kg/hl in Cornwall. He has also done some Regina, yielding 6.9t/ha (2.75t/acre) at 63-65 kg/hl.
Devon Grain co-ops first job this season was oilseed rape, which came on Monday at 9.5-10.5% moisture, cut over the weekend. But most growers have yet to start, including farmers weeklys barometer grower Mark Stevens, at Merton, north Devon.
Somerset contractor Tony Higgins made a start on barleys on Tuesday.
Many growers are awaiting lower moistures. "With grain prices where they are, what is the point of throwing money at it if the Good Lord will dry it for nothing?" says Ted Bird of Cannington Grain, Somerset. *
Barley yields are above average on Chris Lewiss Glebe Farm, in Oxon, says Nick Cobbold. Moisture was down to 15.5% on Monday.