As parts of the country welcome rain and combines complete winter barley across the southern regions, it’s all eyes on winter wheat as it starts to make its way into store.

Farmers and store managers are seeing one of the earliest starts to the wheat harvest, with promising early indications on specific weights.

See also: Why BYDV-tolerant barley may prove itself in disease hotspots

Devon

Devon Grain near Cullompton has seen a break in the weather and, therefore, more deliveries coming through in the past week.

So far it has taken in 3,000t of winter barley, 500t of oats and 500t of oilseed rape, according to store manager Duncan Lyon.

Feed barley is averaging 1.8% screenings, 12.9% moisture content and 67kg/hl specific weight. “I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of barley compared with last year,” he says.

Early deliveries of oats saw higher screening results, averaging 4.1%, with moisture and specific weights levelling at 13.1% and 55kg/hl, respectively.

And with growers already biting into winter wheat, Devon Grain took the first loads in on 21 July, says Mr Lyon. “I think it is the earliest I have seen wheat come in.”

Gloucestershire

Moving up through the South West, harvest is showing encouraging signs for the area, says Philip Smith at Western Arable Services near Cheltenham.

Winter barley harvest began mid-July with grain entering the store just over a week ago. “We’re probably 70-75% complete on winter barley,” says Mr Smith.

“There’s been some very low moisture at 10%, but we’ve had good specific weights of up to 72kg/hl and encouraging yields at 7.4t/ha.”

Oilseed rape has been promising for growers too; yields averaging 3.3t/ha and up to 4.9t/ha. “We’ve not seen enough to get a judgement on oil content,” he says.

An early winter wheat harvest is under way. “It’s looking pretty good, but we’ve not seen enough to make a call on yields,” he says.

“We’ve seen some Skyfall at 12% protein out of South Wales with 80kg/hl specific weight and 370 Hagberg – and 14.5% moisture, it’s a little higher there.”

South Shropshire barley harvest – photo submitted to the Harvest 2022 gallery by Shenton Gwilliam

Norfolk

Into East Anglia, Dewing Grain near Aylsham has seen 30,000t of wheat, barley and oilseed rape, with grain stores becoming fuller as the week progresses.

Expectations of 70,000t by the end of the week (31 July) will mainly be made up of milling wheat and winter barley, says senior trader Josh Dewing.

Barley has been average; both winter and spring crops have suffered with low moisture at 9%, and as little as 4in of rainfall.

Malting barley has seen low nitrogen levels in the winter crop, with spring barley slightly higher. But more needs to come over the weighbridge for a better average.

Winter wheat is seeing good yields – albeit closer to average for milling wheat. However, good specific weight at 73kg/hl has compensated for yield, while protein levels have been average and Hagberg over 250.

In oilseed rape, growers have managed to achieve moisture contents of 6-9% with oil content levels higher than average at 44-46%.

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Heading north, the earliest and driest harvest yet has been taking place at Edrington Mains Farm, near Edrington, according to Jim Macfarlane.

Having cut 10ha of Electrum winter malting barley last week, he has been stopped by rain showers, but hopes to get back into the remaining 11ha today (26 July).

Although, it’s not just rain that has stopped play. “We actually stopped on the first day because it was 11% moisture in the middle of the heatwave – I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Mr Macfarlane.

“I went again early the next morning when it was 17% – it was back down to 12% by the time I had finished. It yielded 7.4t/ha, which is disappointing, but the quality has been good,” he says.

“It’s had low nitrogen at 1.3%, reasonable screenings and decent specific weight.”

He hopes to be into his 37ha of Acacia and Aurelia oilseed rape at the end of next week (week commencing 1 August).