ARABLE farmers in many parts of Scotland are looking skywards and praying for rain in order to help their crops survive weeks and weeks of drought.

While there may be no need to panic just yet, a sustained period of rainfall for the worst affected areas isn’t in the immediate forecast according to BBC weather meteorologist Nick Miller.

The east side of the country, down to the Borders, has been the hardest hit. Although Colin McGregor, who farms Coldstream Mains, is not calling it a disaster yet – and his rainfall figures support his optimism.

Said Mr McGregor: “From January to April this year we have had 184mm of rain and we have had a lot drier years that this over the past decade. In 2015 we had 130mm; 2012 160mm; 2011 162mm; and 2009 147mm.

“Yes I would like to see the rain but the worse thing that could happen if it was to start to rain heavily. Our spring barley is the crop most at risk but I’m not too concerned yet.”

But NFU Scotland’s cereals convener an Sands, who farms Townhead, at Balbeggie, Fife said: “We will not have had any rain for five weeks come this Thursday. The situation is starting to become worrying and some people in this area have been irrigating their barley. Yields are certainly going to be hit especially spring barley and winter cereals.

“Even if we were to get rain later this week I don’t know if it would salvage the job and if it does come we will be facing two separate growth stages, leading to secondary growth which could create harvest problems.

“There is no doubt the east side of the country has been the worse affected. Conditions are slightly better the further north you go.”

James Orr is now irrigating 250 acres of broccoli on his parents farm, Foodie, at Cupar. “The drought has taken out three to four acres of the crop, and we need rain quickly," said James.

Willie Thomson, of Wheatrig, Longniddry, East Lothian said: “Things are very dry here in East Lothian. Our spring barley was sown at the end of March and has not seen any rain since.

“It won’t be long before yield and quality suffer as fertiliser applications have not really been washed in, and some seed hasn’t even germinated.

“Crops well established in the autumn are holding up well, but again there will be a yield and quality penalty if rain doesn’t arrive soon.

“Growth regulator sprays on wheat crops have been trimmed back to avoid stressing the crop further, with additional trace elements, and foliar feeds being applied instead, to give the stressed crops a shot in the arm. This cocktail will also have been given to spring barley to keep them going – another additional cost.

“Those who have the facility have been irrigating cereals, but that is not the norm around here.”

Kelvin Pate, of Aikeyside, Haddington, said: “We have had no rain to speak of since the beginning of April. Worryingly, fertiliser is still lying in the fields and not washed into the spring barley. We are badly needing rain or silage and arable crops will not be great.”

It is a different story for Jimmy Ireland, of Feoch farm, Darvel. “Our own farms are in great order considering our rainfall for the month was 12mm when it is normally closer to 70mm," he said.

“I am glad we took the management decision to drill for water many years ago as we have been using that well to keep stock watered for a fortnight now.”