In the middle of the harvest season, work progresses day by day with the aim of harvesting all the grain in our fields as soon as possible to avoid potential problems—mainly caused by summer storms and hail.
In terms of results, it has been an extraordinary year. Following last year’s record cereal yields, this season promises similarly exceptional performance. And why is the main reason? Because we have had a very wet winter and spring (around 420mm in 2025). Normally, average barley yields are about 3,500 kg/ha; last year we reached 5,700 kg/ha, and this year we expect a similar figure… although we cannot confirm it definitively until harvesting is complete.
As for legumes, which is another of the main crops in the rotation, they have fared a bit differently. Lentil pods failed to develop fully—likely due to a brief heatwave—yielding about 800 kg/ha, which remains a strong result. Peas continue to be steadfast, averaging 1,000 kg/ha, though their market price does not command the premium that lentils do.
We’re in the thick of harvest and remain optimistic. We hope for a very good harvesting campaign for everyone!
We started the year visiting our friends Leoncio and Miguel, at the
Casablanca farm (San Clemente - Cuenca), the aim was to see the
Massey Ferguson 8S.225 Dyna-7
sowing Castilian lentils. We spent a fun afternoon watching the tractor in
action... we really liked the tractor. MF certainly has a premium product with
8S Series.
In our area, vegetables pulse crops are already very common and we use them in
the rotations required by European aid (CAP). Cuenca is one of the provinces
where most sunflower is sown, but in our area (southern part of the province)
the sunflower is already a minimum crop due to the very dry and hot summers,
so for years we have focused on winter crops and woody crops. We still sow
some sunflower, but in very specific fields to control weeds, for
example.
In terms of machinery, the 8S tractor and the
Aguirre seed drill
made a spectacular team. We really liked the tractor, especially the breadth
of the cab and its comfort. Miguel told us that he was very happy and that it
allows him to work many hectares a day and many hours per day. As for the seed
drill, it is a tried and tested machine that works without any
problems.
The data and technical featrues most important of the tractor are:
AGCO Power 7.4-litre 6-cylinder engine.
Power ratings: from 205HP to 305HP.
Transmissions: Dyna-7, Dyna E-Power and Dyna-VT (Fendt).
Maximum Lift Capacity (kg): 10,000 kg lift capacity.
Operator environment: Efficient and Exclusive.
Hydraulic pump up to 205 l/min (1,650 rpm) with Closed Centre Load Sensing.
Minimum weight of 10,000kg and Maximum Gross vehicle weight of 16,000kg.
We have to admit that we only looked at the tractor, as it was the first 8S we
had seen working in a "real" field, far from fairs and demonstrations and we
have to admit that we were impressed. If we have to make any improvements,
perhaps the GPS screen (Datatronic 5) was too small with a dark interface... There is room
for improvement, but the tractor is a premium tractor in every way.
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