Waiting for the wheat
6 August 2001
Waiting for the wheat
FRITH Farms Partnership, near Wincanton in Somerset, is waiting for the weather to clear up to make a start on wheat.
According to manger Ken Dunn, the oilseed rape harvest is virtually over.
Nineteen hectares (46acres) of Madrigal have yielded below average at 2.5t/ha (1t/acre). They normally expect 3.5t/ha (1.4t/acre). “The yield is not good, although it is better than I thought it would be.”
Soil on the farm ranges from clay to sand. He notes that the drier areas yielded higher, with many areas being waterlogged during the winter.
“The wheat looks promising. It seems to have come through the winter very well,” he said.
Varieties include Claire, Malacca and Hereward but the area of wheat is less this year due to poor drilling conditions.
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