A cautious start to harvest has seen mixed results in winter barley and oilseed rape, with early suggestions that a lack of sunshine may have affected yields of both.

According to Stuart Attridge at Harlow Agricultural Merchants, combines have been making progress from Kent to Cambridgeshire, with samples of both winter barley and oilseed rape now coming in.

South East

In Kent, Andy Pendry has made a start on oilseed rape at Burden Bros’ Old Rides Farm, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppy.

See also: Harvest 2016: Winter barley harvest gets going on the Suffolk Brecklands

“We started on Sunday [17 July] and have cut about 90ha of Incentive,” he says. “It’s not brilliant, but it’s okay – it is yielding 3.5-3.6t/ha whereas I was hoping for 4t/ha.”

Coming off at 8% moisture, the rapeseed was testing at 44% oil content. “We have 510ha of oilseed rape to cut, so we should be moving on to wheat in the first week of August,” says Mr Pendry.

Further west, Hampshire Grain has only seen one sample of winter barley, which tested at just below 63kg/hl, says store manager Mike Clay. Early yield indications are disappointing, but not disastrous, he adds.

South West

At Cannington Grain, Bridgwater, Somerset, Ian Eastwood has seen some six-row barley at 14.5% moisture, which tested at 62kg/hl.

“It’s not the best-looking barley I have ever seen – it’s a bit pinched,” he says.

Combines are also rolling in Dorset and Cornwall, with oilseed rape still a few days away. “We’re not expecting great things – no better than average.”

In Cornwall, Charlie Watson-Smyth has cut 32ha of Cassia winter barley at Tregirls Farm, Padstow. “It’s a nice sample, but is not yielding very well at 5.6t/ha,” he says. “I think the spring crops will be a lot better than winter ones.”

East Anglia

Winter barley in the East was also struggling, with low bushel weights affecting yield, says Rob Munro, marketing director at Fengrain.

“The picture is improving, but samples are testing at 56-59kg/hl. We will have a reasonable chunk of barley cut by the end of the week, when oilseed rape will also be under way,” he says.

According to Andrew Dewing at Dewing Grain near Aylsham, Norfolk, winter barley quality was extremely mixed.

“We have seen some okay samples and some very disappointing ones – but they are more disappointing than good,” he says. “Bushel weights are low across the board, which is instantly going to affect yield.”

Mr Dewing puts the low yields down to a combination of the mild winter – which enabled barley yellow dwarf virus to take hold – rain throughout flowering and poor radiation levels in June.

“We believe it will have a massive effect on yield in wheat as well as barley – I think we will be 15% down, maybe more.”