The spring barley harvest was nearing completion on a Dorset estate on Monday, with a pleasing yield of 7.5t/ha for the malting variety Propino after a “poor” winter barley crop.

Later-maturing spring barley and winter wheat were performing better than early-ripening winter barley for Jim Farquharson on his light, chalky soils at Eastbury Estates.

“The spring barley was a lot better than winter barley and the quality looks good, with low screening,” he tells Farmers Weekly.

See also: Harvest 2016: Wheat yields and quality show improving trend

The 70ha of Propino barley at the 400ha arable farm is due to be completed today (Monday 15 August), with screenings below 2% – although there were no figures on grain nitrogen levels.

The winter wheat was also performing well, with 80ha of the milling variety Crusoe yielding about 10t/ha. The grain gave a protein level of 13.96%, Hagberg of 450 and specific weight of 78-79kg/hl.

Mr Farquharson points out that the quality was very good, but the yield was down from the bumper yields seen last summer, when Crusoe averaged 12.76t/ha and the top yield on the farm was 13.8t/ha.

Winter barley averaged a “poor” 6t/ha, while oilseed rape came in at 3.8t/ha on the estate in Tarrant Gunville, five miles north-east of Blandford Forum.