Grain stores are struggling to keep up as crops ripen early and are being harvested rapidly.

Oilseed rape growers are pleased with oil content and yields, but while wheat is seeing good yields, protein content is low, which may be due to reduced nitrogen application.

United Oilseeds stores are filling up in the South and increasingly further north as harvest progresses, according to Owen Cligg, trading manager at United Oilseeds.

“The OSR harvest started two weeks early, with issues with low moisture content at 6%, but temperatures have cooled now, so that’s no longer a problem,” says Mr Cligg.

United Oilseeds is seeing on average 5-9% moisture content, and admixture hasn’t been over 7%.

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Oil content has been more than 44%, and due to the good quality and price, farmers are pleased. “On average, yields have been 3.8t/ha – 25% up from last year – which was below the 3t/ha average,” says Mr Cligg. “The best yield so far has been 6t/ha in Berkshire.”

Although oilseed rape has been good this year, there are concerns about next year’s crop in the South, as the planting season is expected to be dry.

“With more moisture in the North, rapeseed going in after barley should have a good seed-bed,” says Mr Cligg.

Kent

Weald Granary near Maidstone has finished the milling oat harvest, with 100t achieving more than 50kg/hl. The company has increased truck haulage to keep up with grain collection as the wheat harvest commenced three weeks earlier than last year.

The oilseed rape is nearly finished, with reasonable yields. “Oil content is higher than usual at 46-47% and the oil bonus is significant this year at a 1.5% increase in pounds per tonne,” says managing director John Smith.

And moisture content has been low at 3.5-4%. “We had two new dryers costing £250,000 and only 100t out of 25,000t of rapeseed needed drying,” says Mr Smith. 

Having received 7,000t of winter barley, specific weights have averaged 66-67kg/hl, which is better than last year. “Admixture has been an issue, maybe due to min-till cultivation being used more,” he adds.

Weald Granary has mainly taken in Skyfall winter wheat, which is achieving 9.5-13.5% protein.

Generally, yields have been good, with overall protein averaging 12.5% – 0.5% points down on last year, with the lowest results seen on lighter land.

Specific weights among the milling wheats are good at 80-83kg/hl, with moisture low at 8.5-9% following the hot, dry spell.

G&J Martin cutting winter oats at Warningore Farm in East Sussex – photo submitted to our Harvest 2022 gallery by Matthew Martin

Roxburghshire

Heading north, John Jeffery at Kersknowe Farm, near Kelso, has enjoyed combining winter barley and oilseed rape in the sunshine and will be getting into winter wheat in the week commencing 8 August.

“The wheat looks good, but I’m not getting my hopes up as the barley looked good, but yielded lower than expected,” says Mr Jeffrey. His oilseed rape delivered a pleasing 4.1t/ha, while his malting barley levelled at 6.4t/ha and feed barley 6.9t/ha.

Winter barley achieved a good nitrogen content and 12-13% moisture, but was light in weight. Scotland has seen some hot, dry weather, so Mr Jeffrey has not used his grain dryer as much as usual this harvest.

“Harvest is also a fortnight early, which is unusual for Scotland.”

Harvesting winter barley in Norfolk John Deere s685i photo submitted to our Harvest 2022 gallery by Louis Beamish

Inverness

Further into Scotland, Highland Grain is awaiting the first loads of spring barley later this week. “Crop walks have shown good quality, but it’s hard to tell – we’re expecting average yields and good nitrogen content,” says chief executive Gary Catto.

Highland Grain typically sees 40,000t of spring barley consisting of Sassy, Diablo and Laureate, but it expects to take less in this year.

“We’ve seen more wheat and rapeseed being grown, but spring barley is not in the rotation so much this year,” says Mr Catto. “Early spring barley on light ground looks burned and dry – spring crops have not had an easy time.”