Growing crops on the far north coast of mainland Scotland can be a challenge, with heavy rain and gusty winds often limiting establishment. But this didn’t stop Caithness farmer John Anderson from achieving more than 10t/ha for his crop of spring oats last harvest. And the best bit? He achieved this from just 50kg/ha of bagged nitrogen. The bumper yield saw him win gold for the highest-yielding oat crop in the 2026 YEN Awards, with the variety Merlin achieving 10.09t/ha. See also: Whisky slowdown hits Scottish malting barley The secret to success, says John, is mixed farming and a long rotation incorporating grass to boost soil fertility and organic matter…