Harvest is progressing reasonably well at Paul Phillips’ Broniarth Farm, Newtown, Powys, but remaining crops will start to suffer if not cut soon.

“It’s too wet to get on today (8 September) – and the combine has broken down, so hopefully we’ll get that fixed for tomorrow.”

Mr Phillips had about 2ha (5 acres) of triticale and the same of winter wheat left to cut, as well as one field of spring barley.

“The barley was drilled on 16 May and within five days it had chitted three inches. It has just grown all season and as long as we can get it before the rain does I think we could be in for a bumper crop,” he said.

Winter wheat was holding up to the wet weather quite well, but Borwo triticale was a disaster.

“We’ve cut 3ha (8 acres) of it and it’s got a respectable yield of 6.2t/ha (2.5t/acre) with 5t/ha (2t/acre) of straw,” said Mr Phillips.

“But as soon as it came ripe it started germinating in the ear within a couple of days – it is just rubbish.”

Claire winter wheat, drilled in early March, did extremely well at 6.8t/ha (2.75t/acre). “It was never going to be a record crop, but given when it went in we’re particularly pleased.”

Straw yields were slightly below normal, at 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre). “Bizarrely, it was too dry to put through the round baler.”

Gerald winter oats, which had a slow start, yielded slightly below average, at 5.8t/ha (2.35t/acre), with 5t/ha (2t/acre) of straw.

“That’s less than we’d usually get, but it was nice and dry so it wasn’t a complete disaster.”

But Carat winter barley came in 1.2t/ha (0.5t/acre) above average, at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre).

“We were exceptionally pleased with that – it was one of the best crops of winter barley we’ve ever had.”

Crop: Winter wheat
Variety: Claire
Area: 11ha (27 acres)
Yield: 6.8t/ha (2.75t/acre)

Crop: Winter oats
Variety: Gerald
Area: 5ha (13 acres)
Yield: 5.8t/ha (2.35t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Carat
Area: 16ha (40 acres)
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)

Crop: Winter triticale
Variety: Borwo
Yield: 6.2t/ha (2.5t/acre)