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Know How / Wheat / Harvest and crop storage

Once the combines are rolling, harvest technique and timing can have an impact on wheat yield and quality, in the same way as weather and crop agronomy can. See how to prepare for both bumper and difficult harvests, how to manage the increased workload and what to consider as harvest approaches. Keeping a harvested wheat crop in the best condition, free of pests and diseases in store, is essential for the grain’s end market value.

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HARVEST

Video: Fungicide-free wheat hits 10t/ha

Nick Dymond’s unique cropping approach of not using fungicides or insecticides and a focus on crop nutrition has seen yields of his Extase winter wheat peak at 10t/ha. With specific weights…

HARVEST

Grower kick-starts wheat harvest to earn £30/t premium

Merseyside grower Olly Harrison was not only one of the first growers to start winter barley harvest, but is now also leading the charge to cut winter wheat, which is…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Q&A: How one farmer upgraded his grain dryer and storage

When it came to replacing and upgrading an outdated grain drying set up, one Oxfordshire farmer saw it as an opportunity for an attractive new income stream at the same…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How grain storage upgrade gave Sussex farm harvest flexibility

A £380,000 investment in a West Sussex farm’s grain drying and storage facilities has made a huge difference to harvest logistics, allowing it to cope with two combines in a…

ARABLE

Video: Hands Free Hectare - what next for the farming robots?

Excitement, pride, trepidation – just some of the feelings buzzing around a perfectly square hectare field in Shropshire as a driverless combine took its first bite of a crop that…

HARVEST

Lincs grower sets sights on 2018 wheat yield record attempt

Lincolnshire Wolds grower Tim Lamyman is planning to drill his winter wheat earlier this autumn in his quest to break the world wheat yield record, after falling short this summer.…

Practical advice

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HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Tips to achieve successful long-term grain storage

There are many factors to take into consideration when storing grain crops for the long term. Getting it wrong means quality will deteriorate, which can lead to significant financial losses.…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to dry grain more efficiently in a wet harvest

With showery summers predicted to become more common, now is a good time to appraise grain-drying facilities and reinvest where necessary to help deal with any extreme seasons to come.…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

How to prepare for ergot limits in cereals for harvest 2021

Growers need to prepare for new regulations covering maximum limits on ergot in cereals, to avoid loads being rejected by millers and merchants from harvest 2021 onwards.  The current 0.05%…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to sample your grain on farm to get the top price

Grain sampling can be a problematic area causing friction between arable growers and grain traders when it comes to price deductions. Testing for moisture contents and specific weights can often…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Why fusarium risk is rising in wheat and how to manage it

With rising incidence of fusarium ear blight and changes to mycotoxin legal limits on the horizon, experts are advising wheat growers to adopt a more water-tight, integrated approach to minimising…

SOILS

6 top tips to minimise compaction at harvest

Climate predictions indicate that for the next 20 years there is a 35-40% chance of a wetter-than-average summer, giving rise to the potential for disrupted and challenging harvests. Aside from…

Insights

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NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Should farms sell or chop straw with fertiliser prices high?

The value of straw, whether for power stations or traditional forage and bedding markets remains, buoyant, and many growers will be looking to take advantage of that. However, with high…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How farmer trial will test Canadian combine weed seed mill

A group of UK farmers is taking part in a ground-breaking research project to test the effectiveness of harvest weed seed control units developed by a Canadian company. This non-chemical…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Why grain analysis now could save on fertiliser next season

Farmers are being advised to get their grain analysed this harvest to help refine next season’s fertiliser decisions, with data showing the average uncertainty equates to £2,000 for an average…

VARIETY SELECTION

Variety verdict: Top-performing wheats and barleys of 2021

The combination of plants already under stress and a disease explosion that hit crops in late spring and early summer is thought to be behind the discrepancies seen in wheat…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How data analytics can help identify marginal farmland

The power of data analytics in improving decision making about future land use is being highlighted by a project at AHDB’s Strategic Farm East to use data to identify marginal…

VARIETY SELECTION

Harvest 2021: The 5 top-yielding winter wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2021’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Can grain nutrient analysis improve fertiliser use?

Grain nutrient analysis offers growers an effective way to improve input efficiency by diagnosing potential nutrient deficiencies, so management plans can be tweaked accordingly. Acting a bit like a post-mortem, grain…

HARVEST

Analysis: Cost of extreme weather on 2020 crop performance

The weather extremes in the hugely difficult 2019-20 cropping season provided a unique test of crop performance, with some new winter wheat varieties showing promise. From some of the wettest…

HARVEST

Harvest 2020: The 5 top-yielding wheat varieties map

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2020’s AHDB wheat Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

HARVEST

Harvest verdict: Barley is the winner in mixed season

The 2019 harvest started in ideal dry conditions with winter barley growers reporting bumper crops coming off with good quality, some were even seeing yields well into double digits.    But…

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereal varieties: Winners and losers at harvest 2018

During the 2018 cereal harvest, wheat varieties were more likely to perform slightly below their long-term averages than to exceed yield expectations.  That’s why most of the 2018 results shouldn’t…

External resources

AHDB Grain storage guide

Good storage practice for cereals and oilseed rape
View guide

HSE Grain dust

Safety guidance to protects you from exposure to grain dust
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AHDB Grain sampling guide

How to accurately assess grain quality and condition
View guide

AHDB Grain moisture

Guidelines for measuring grain moisture content at harvest, storage and sale
View guide