Many growers will be finishing their winter wheat harvest this week, and spring barley is not far behind, except in Scotland where mixed weather has held back crop maturity.

Somerset

At Manor Farm, near Taunton, more than 200ha of winter wheat will be finished this week, comprising varieties Graham, Extase, Dawsum and Champion.

“There was no sunshine to help grain fill,” says Richard Payne, who reckons harvest 2023 will be his worst since 2012. Yields were 8t/ha at best, and specific weights were disappointing at 68-74kg/hl.

“We have a robust spray programme, but had trouble with ear disease in Graham, so I am dropping that variety for next year,” says Richard, adding that one or two neighbouring farmers are thinking along the same lines.

“There was high disease pressure, and having lots of eyespot did hit yields,” he adds.

Richard had to dry only three trailer loads of crops. The average moisture content of the wheat was 12.5%, with the highest being 16.5%.

Now into his spring barley, he says the 8.9ha of the variety Skyway he has cut is averaging a “hopeless” 5t/ha.

Shropshire

At Eyton House Farm near Telford, storage has run out as harvest is all in for the year. “Specific weights are down across the board, but yields are fairly good,” says Isabel Udale-Moseley.

Harvest started with 42ha of Tardis winter barley, averaging 8.9-9.1t/ha. Then 105ha of high oleic and low linolenic (Holl) oilseed rape – grown for McDonald’s – was cut, averaging 3.7t/ha.

The 243ha of Graham, Dawsum, Gleam and Extase winter wheat yielded 8.6-9.8t/ha, of which Graham – in its first year at the farm – yielded the best. The wheat did have weed pressure from ryegrass, and one bad field will be put into spring cropping.

Lastly, Isabel says she is fairly pleased with the 65ha of Mascani winter milling oats, which yielded 8.6-9.2t/ha.

Although the target specific weight specification is 50kg/hl, Isabel has been told that millers are accepting 48kg/hl, which is the weight her crop is hitting.

East Yorkshire

Benningholme Grange, near Beverley, has 202ha of winter wheat which is nearly finished, consisting of Dawsum, Graham, Cranium and Tapestry.

“The yield off the combine is down on last year, averaging 11t/ha,” says Guy Shelby. Moisture content has ranged from 13% to 16%, so not much needed drying.

Disease pressure was massive this year, says Guy, and there was also little sunshine. However, his wheat crops still looked well.

Harvest is completed for 115ha of Auckland and Ambassador oilseed rape, which yielded below last year at 4.3t/ha, and a third of which had to be dried.

Guy has also put his combine into 30ha of Skyway spring barley which was drilled in late February, before the weather turned. Average yield is 8.7t/ha with grain destined for malting.

“Specific weight is there, but it would have done better if it wasn’t for the weather affecting yield,” he says. He reports that neighbouring farms will probably be wrapping up harvest in a week or so.

Aberdeenshire

Millhill Farm near Peterhead, 8ha remains of Doug Fowlie’s 89ha of winter wheat, which will be combined on the next decent day.

His wheat to date has yielded 7.4t/ha, but is coming off the combine at 17-21% moisture content, so his dryers have been busy – although Doug says it has not been an overly wet crop by Aberdeenshire standards.

Winter oilseed rape has also been cut and was OK, yielding 4t/ha.

Next to combine is 356ha of Laureate spring malting barley. Likely maturity ranges from one to three weeks away, caused by a dry early spring and only a splash of rain in mid-June.

“I have never seen a crop so mixed. It’s a concern. Now is normally the time to cut,” he adds.