Drought and flea beetle attack has written off 70,000ha of oilseed rape across 18 counties in England this autumn, an independent survey has estimated.

The Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) asked its agronomist members to report the proportion of oilseed rape crops they oversee that had been lost or failed to establish.

Traders estimate that about 530,000ha of oilseed rape was drilled this autumn in England.

See also: Ways to improve on 2016’s poor oilseed rape performance

Over 70 agronomists responded from counties stretching from Northumberland down the eastern side of Britain to Kent, representing about 71% of the total English crop.

Last field of drilling. Was osr but have lost 120a to #csfb + dry. #notajobiwantedtodo pic.twitter.com/dL89pqup4d

— kevin hull (@zorchman) October 17, 2016

In these 18 counties the survey results suggest that 9% of the crop has been written off because of drought and 7% by flea beetle damage overall.

One of the few fully emerged @ClaydonDrill OSR crops in the Costa Del Kent this afternoon #sodry #rain? #when?! pic.twitter.com/vba3wyeAxR

— TAP (@TAPAgronomy) September 13, 2016

It is thought that as much as 40,000ha may have been lost as a result of poor germination and crop establishment with dry seed-beds to blame.

After 6 dry weeks we have had 60mm in 4 days, #osr is finally emerging 35 days after it was planted! CSFB, slug and pigeon battle begins!! pic.twitter.com/Aiuh5kQW3b

— James Ledger (@LitMon_Ltd) September 20, 2016

Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Suffolk are the five counties where crop establishment was worst hit by the lack of soil moisture.

There goes another crop of oilseed rape, seen off by drought and flea beetle! Can't see us growing OSR again for a while. pic.twitter.com/sN9gwqOaXK

— Peter Kendall (@pkendallfarm) September 29, 2016

In Cambridgeshire, Kent and West Sussex about 10% of crops are also thought to have failed because of prolonged arid conditions.

The survey indicates that a further 30,000ha has been lost to flea beetle damage this autumn, with a third (33%) of crops in Hertfordshire and 29% in Bedfordshire being wiped out.