Going well near Wimborne
Harvest is going well at North Farm, Wimborne, Dorset, although 52mm of rain yesterday (18 August) has brought combines to a halt.
“At Bournemouth and Portland they had 10mm more than that,” said Peter Snell.
“Other than that, it’s been mainly humid and drizzly, which has slowed us down; but all in all we’ve been getting on pretty well.”
Mr Snell had combined all his milling wheat, leaving just 20ha (50 acres) of Tipple spring barley, 50ha (123 acres) of Scout wheat and some Maris Widgeon left to cut.
“We prioritised our milling wheat over the spring barley – at least it dries off more quickly than the wheat.
“But we might end up with a pre-wet weather batch and a post-rain batch – it’s had a fair hammering, which won’t have done it a lot of good.”
So far the Tipple had yielded about 7.5t/ha (3t/acre) over the combine, with a 1ha (2.5-acre) trial strip of Propino doing 10.06t/ha (4.07t/acre) over a weighbridge.
Cordiale wheat as a second wheat averaged 10.25t/ha (4.1t/acre) at 83kg/hl at 14% moisture, with a neighbour’s doing 11t/ha (4.45t/acre).
Gallant was coming off at about 12.4t/ha (5t/acre). “But we’ve left a seed strip so I don’t know what the whole 49ha (120 acres) will average,” said Mr Snell.
“Whether or not we get the protein content for milling I don’t know – it seems unlikely.”
Cassia winter barley averaged 9.85t/ha (4t/acre), with Mascani winter oats on less good ground doing 6.88t/ha (2.78t/acre). “We’re well pleased.”
However, Mr Snell still had 120ha (300 acres) of straw lying wet in the swath, and was keen to get that off ready for oilseed rape cultivations.
He also had a lot of Maris Widgeon to cut for thatching straw. “But one field went flat in May so we’ll have to combine that, and it will only do 3.7-4.9t/ha (1.5-2t/acre).”
Crop: Winter wheat
Variety: Cordiale
Area: 30ha (74 acres)
Yield: 10.25t/ha (4.1t/acre)
Variety: Cordiale
Area: 10ha (25 acres)
Yield: 11t/ha (4.45t/acre)
Variety: Gallant
Area: <49ha (120 acres)
Yield: 12.4t/ha (5t/acre)
Crop: Spring barley
Variety: Tipple
Area: 20ha (50 acres)
Yield: 7.5t/ha (3t/acre)
Variety: Propino
Area: 1ha (2.5 acres)
Yield: 10.06t/ha (4.07t/acre)
Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Cassia
Yield: 9.85t/ha (4t/acre)
Crop: Winter oats
Variety: Mascani
Yield: 6.88t/ha (2.78t/acre)
