By Jack Bosworth, Director, FJ Bosworth & Sons. Published 8 August 2022.
I never thought I would be sitting in the garden chilling out while writing this August article.
The combining is nearly done. Just 42 hectares (104 acres) of spring barley left, which could do with a few more days of sun to finish off cleanly.
A welcome early harvest
The early harvest has been a genuine relief. We have had to buy cereals in over the last couple of months to keep our home mill-and-mix going, and getting the new crop in early changes the picture considerably.
Yields have been pleasing overall, particularly given that nothing has been harvested above 13.5 per cent moisture.
Harvest 2022 yields, by crop
| Crop | Ground | Yield (t/ha) |
|---|---|---|
| First winter barley | Own ground | 9.34 |
| Second winter barley | Cropping licence | 8.17 |
| Spring barley | Various | 8.35 (so far) |
| First winter wheat | Own ground | 10.23 |
| Second winter wheat | Own ground | 8.50 |
| First winter wheat | Cropping licence | 8.98 |
| Second winter wheat | Cropping licence | 8.59 |
| Continuous winter wheat (5th year) | Own ground | 7.70 |
The continuous winter wheat in its fifth year holding at 7.7 t/ha is the figure I find most quietly satisfying.
Animal welfare through the heat
The hot weather has been brilliant for harvesting and challenging for the pigs. I am very grateful that our team works with animal welfare as the priority. That has meant many early starts over the past month to get feeding, moving and serving done in cooler temperatures for the pigs.
That kind of decision does not show up in any KPI table. It shows up in the next set of results, months later.
Next job: slurry, then oilseed rape
The next job on the list, after combining and bale collection, is spreading slurry and farmyard manure (FYM).
The plan for the slurry is to spread it on barley stubble and drill oilseed rape straight after, using our new Weaving LD Topsoiler and Magnum Seeder.
We do need some rain before doing either of these operations. Without it, we will lose the slurry below the target zone and the OSR will not establish properly.
The slurry analysis behind the application
Our latest slurry analysis has just come back. These are the key nutrient values for our separated slurry at 1.57 per cent dry matter:
| Nutrient | Value (kg per m³) |
|---|---|
| Total nitrogen | 3.40 |
| Ammonium nitrogen | 2.82 |
| Phosphorus | 0.46 |
| Potassium | 3.15 |
The FYM, mixed with the solids from the separator, will be applied to nearby cropping-licence land as part of our phosphate and potassium contribution. I am still waiting on that analysis.
Knowing exactly what is in the tank is what allows us to apply confidently, replace what the crop has used, and not over-apply on nutrients that are already there.
I hope the rest of harvest goes well for everyone, and fingers crossed those of us who want rain get it soon.
Editor’s note (May 2026)
Since this article was written, our contracting offer has continued to grow, including umbilical slurry and digestate application at 12, 18, 20 and 24 metre working widths, tanker application using a 4,100 gallon Storth Tandem Axle Tanker with a Storth 12m ContractorPlus Trailing Shoe, and a wider range of drilling, broadcasting and cultivation services. All operations run on RTK guidance. Full details are on the Contracting section of this site.
About the author
Jack Bosworth is a fourth-generation farmer and Director of FJ Bosworth & Sons, an arable and pig farming business at Spains Hall, Willingale, Essex. The farm has been in the family since 1919, and Jack farms alongside his father Stuart Bosworth, who was named Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year in 2011. The business is Red Tractor assured and runs an integrated farm-to-fork model, with home-grown cereals milled on site using solar-generated electricity.
You can follow Jack’s articles on fjbosworth.com, or get in touch via the WhatsApp link on the site.
Fourth-generation farmer at Spains Hall, Willingale. Runs the contracting team and writes most of what appears here.