Bill Harbour is combining Gallant milling wheat at Gosmere Farm, Sheldwich, Kent, today (10 August), having started it at 17% moisture yesterday.

“The sun is shining, so we’ve got to get on as quickly as we can,” he said.

So far he had cut 10.45ha, which had produced 90t. “As a second wheat that’s got to be good. And it looks like it will have a good protein content.

“But the bushel weight is pretty grim, in the low 70s, which seems to be standard around here. If the bushel weight had been higher I think it would have done a good 10t/ha.”

Mr Harbour blamed the lack of sunshine for the low bushel weight, and said disease pressure, although high, had not been too bad.

“We’re cutting another 7ha today, and then have more Gallant to cut as a first wheat, followed by Solstice, Crusoe and some Scout for a neighbour.”

Much of the wheat was still not quite fit, he added. “It’s an awful job trying to get the chaff out of it, which isn’t helping the bushel weight.”

Having finished all the oilseed rape, Mr Harbour was now loading it out of the grain store.

“We didn’t weigh it – we just dumped it on the floor. The Parador and Roxanne high erucic rape did well, but the combine scales were all over the place, so we just abandoned it.”

Crop: Winter wheat
Variety: Gallant
Area: 10.45ha
Yield: 8.6t/ha