Harvest started in the southwest with blazing sun and a blaze of activity, summer showers have now slowed progress as combines wade their way through mottled crops of oilseed rape , oats and spring barley. Wheat is largely an aspiration for the middle of next week.

Quality on winter barleys has been superb with our boldest Cassia sample over 70 kg/hl and a thousand grain weight of 58 grams, yields have been variable but generally good. The Pearce Seeds trials were topped by Volume with Escadre as the highest yielding non hybrid, a pattern that has been consistent over the last 3 years. Escadre has the advantage of 8 + 8 for Rynchosporium + Net Blotch resistance so is well adapted for the south west. The usual suspects Cassia AND Florentine following on behind.

Oilseed rape is very late to harvest and results almost by postcode. Generally hybrids established better and therefore giving the best performances, crops on light land in the west dying in the heat of July and yielding close1.25 t/ acre , some of the better crops on chalk more than 1 tonne to the acre better. It is interesting to look at the stubbles where crops have been removed reminding us just how uneven establishment was, which the canopy helped us forget for a while. Best individual result so far DK Exstorm 5.8 t / ha at Blandford, weighed off 14 ha.

Oats have performed amazingly well considering how poor the crops looked in March , with Mascani samples looking fantastic. Yields at 7 – 7.5 tonnes per hectare will not break any records, but growers would have snapped your hand off for a yield like that at most points of the year. The mystery crop is spring oats . How will the new improved spring types stand up to the recent hot weather, the yield will probably be there , but what grain size ?  If samples from spring oats do turn out to be acceptable the crop could become a useful break without the weed control problems of the winter version.

Spring barleys and wheat are too early to call, with early cut barleys flattering to deceive although Cordiale has been doing well again on the chalks.