Harvest time has arrived on a farm near Brigg, Lincolnshire, and it is starting three weeks earlier than it did 20 years ago. The winter barley for seed is being cut first, followed by oilseed rape (OSR), then likely wheat, with beans usually last in September. This year, even the beans are nearing harvest in early July.
Earlier harvest brings benefits and challenges
The earlier harvest reduces yields because plants cannot ripen fully and heat accelerates growth, but it also means cutting crops in longer daylight and saving on drying costs. Moisture content is critical: wheat and barley must be below 15% moisture, and OSR below 9%, to prevent storage issues like mould and pests. However, heat can lower moisture too much; in France, maize crops are “packing up” and OSR moisture is as low as 3% due to sweltering temperatures. The key threshold is 35°C, where pollination becomes unviable and plants shut down, a temperature increasingly relevant in the UK.
Six-week harvest window
The entire harvest will take about six weeks, weather permitting. The farmer notes that crops survived winter flooding and two heatwaves, but another hot spell is on the way. “My son has replaced me at the wheel of the air conditioned behemoth combine, and I just hope everything falls into place,” the farmer said. A rainfall delay now would create quality issues and uncertainty about which crop to prioritise. Growing milling bread wheat and marrowfat peas for the fish and chip trade can clash at harvest, and adding spring malting barley and delayed OSR ramps up pressure.
Climate volatility and the gamble of farming
In less than six weeks, with luck, all crops will be safely gathered, and the cycle begins again with the gamble of growing human-grade crops in an ever more volatile climate. The farmer reflected that harvest 20 years ago would start around the third week of July, but has crept forward by three weeks since then.
