Adrian Ivory has sprayed off his winter barley at Strathisla Farms, Meigle, Perthshire, and plans to start combining on Tuesday next week (6 August).

“It looks fine, but you never know until you get into it,” he said. “There’s very little cut in the area – I think most people will be into the barley next week.”

This year he was growing Cyprus for pearling, as well as Volume and Bamboo.

“The six rows are in the last chance saloon – if they don’t perform this year I will go back to growing two-row winter barley,” he said.

“It’s performed just as well as the six rows over the past couple of years.”

Spring barley looked good, but did not want much more rain, said Mr Ivory. “Some of it is just starting to twist.”

The winter wheat also looked well, but was a little way off being ripe.