Stephen Whitby is busy combining oilseed rape for a neighbour today (21 July), and hopes to move onto his own crop of Castille at Rowley Farm, Wexham, Slough, shortly.

“It’s very dry – it’s been desiccated a fortnight and last night we tested it at 7%, but I think it will average 8-9% across the whole.”

So far the rapeseed was yielding 3-3.5t/ha (1.2-1.4t/acre), according to the combine scales.

Mr Whitby had also cut 36ha (90 acres) of Carat winter barley for his neighbour, which had yielded 6.2-7.9t/ha (2.5-3.2t/acre).

“I also cut some Soissons winter wheat about 10 days ago, where it had died out. That didn’t do very well at all.

“The mainstream of harvest will come next week. The crops look a mixed bag – on the good land they’re holding on and look alright, but on the light land yields are going to be down. We really need an easy, cheap harvest.”

Crop: Oilseed rape
Yield: 3-3.5t/ha (1.2-1.4t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Carat
Area: 36ha (90 acres)
Yield: 6.2-7.9t/ha (2.5-3.2t/acre)