A crop of Tapestry winter wheat from AJ Duncan, Woodhead of Laithers, Turriff, has come out on top to win the Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) annual cereals competition.

Sown for the first time in 2022, the 75 acres grown saw a yield of 5.1 tonnes per acre. Using two tonnes of chicken manure per acre and a standard agronomy programme of 180kg of liquid nitrogen, such has been the success of this year’s crop, that Mr. Duncan has decided to expand the acreage grown from 75 to 600 acres next year, with 60 tonnes of this year’s harvest being kept for seed.

The AJ Duncan/Duncan Arable Farms enterprise encompasses more than 6,000 acres of combinable crops which are primarily used as chicken feed with oats recently added to the crop rotation to achieve two wheat crops in five instead of one.

Judge, Willie Sharp found his reserve in a crop of Skyscraper winter wheat from John Forbes and Partners at Slainspark, Kinneff with the best LFA crop being spring oats from Robert Murray, Tullynessle, Alford.

Commenting on this year’s competition, RNAS president Alan Cumming said: “This annual competition is an important way of recognising some of the excellent crop husbandry which exists in the North East of Scotland and we are very grateful to all participants for showcasing their crops by taking part in this event.”

Leading Awards

Winter barley – 1, A J Norrie Woodside of Wrae, Turriff (Kingston); 2, A Reid, Mains of Newton, Laurencekirk (Bolton); 3, J and E Forrester, Aldie, Cruden Bay (Valarie).

Winter wheat – 1 and champion, A J Duncan, Muirden, Turriff (Tapestry); 2 and reserve, John Forbes and Partners, Slainspark, Kinneff (Skyscraper); 3, Alex Reid, Mains of Newton, Laurencekirk (Insitor).

Spring oats – 1, R Murray, Scotsmill, Tullynessle, Alford (Merlin); 2, James Shepherd, Murphiehowe, Drumoak (Canyon); 3, Ednie Farms, Ednie House, St Fergus (Canyon)

Spring malting barley – 1, J Y Middleton and Son, Balbegno, Fettercairn (Diablo); 2, A Reid, Mains of Newton, Laurencekirk (Diablo); 3, KH and KM Marshall, Mains of Hilton, Catterline (Laureate).

Spring feed barley – 1, A J Duncan, Muirden, Turriff (Laureate); 2, C and A Findlay, Turfhillock, Drummuir (Propino); 3, J and E Forrester, Aldie, Cruden Bay, Peterhead (Planet).