South East. Peter Cowlrick reports that drilling completed apart from few fields of Soissons after grain maize. All second wheats also now drilled. Growth stages range from emergence to GS 22/23, with bulk of crops now at around GS 12-13. Earlier crops sown into dry seedbeds still very variable with dual growth stages in many fields, ranging from emerging to GS 12-21.

More rain this week and warm days and nights is leading to rapid emergence and growth now.
Slugs: with moist soils and warm nights slug activity has increased considerably in last week, however, where seedbeds are good, crops for most part appear to be establishing without significant grazing.
Weed Control: significant flush of blackgrass appearing now even in fields where control has been good in last few years – warm, moist soils seem to be encouraging blackgrass to break dormancy and establish quickly with emerging wheat.
All problem blackgrass fields been sprayed with Crystal @ 3-4lt/ha + DFF (0.2lt/ha) or Liberator applied either pre-/peri-emergence. Blackgrass beginning to show signs of control, but will need follow up treatments of Atlantis in November.

South West. Stephen Harrison reports that drier, cloddy areas now filling out as further emergence follows recent rainfall.  Drilling is virtually complete apart from a few fields after grass and maize. Crops emerging in around 7 to 10 days now soil has moistened.  Some bleaching of the first emerged leaf form pdm/flufenacet/dff mixes where deep drilled and slow emerging in the dry.  Subsequent leaves seem healthy.
Ground wet and sticky after a few days rain however, tramlines are travelable allowing residual herbicides to be applied between showers. Interesting to note very poor emergence where old tramlines were subsoiled in August after harvest and thus dried out.
Aphids: a few winged aphids seen.
Slugs: damage confined to known problem patches, but minimised by prompt treatment.
Weed Control: blackgrass generally being held by pre ems although a few dense patches on difficult sites where seed beds were dry are giving cause for concern and will be targeted with Atlantis at earliest opportunity.  We anticipate the majority of contact materials will be applied in early to mid November.
Bromes: very high emergence of Sterile Bromes in non plough situations will be targeted with Atlantis or Broadway Star depending whether or not blackgrass is present.

East Midlands. Martin Eudall reports that emergence of crops is slow – in many cases seed just shooting and about to show but moving slowly. Dry soils below cloddy surfaces is main cause of problem. Earlier drilled crops emerging slowly but vigour seems to have taken a knock in the dry conditions.
Only 3.5 mm rain in last few days has hardly wetted the surface. Soils as dry as I have known them at this time of year. Soil temps around 9-10 deg C.
Aphids: none seen but aphicide will go on with herbicides where going on re risk of aphids in the mild weather.
Slugs: very little activity seen and no need for pellets yet but damper top soils may lead to some shredding as crops emerge – late egg hatch could occur at any time.
Weed control: blackgrass very little emerged and none worth looking at with a spray yet  - spraying will be later than usual this year and may end up spring spraying if germination is delayed and weather then closes in.

West Midlands. Bryce Rham reports that 95% of wheat in, some second wheat and wheat after potatoes, maize and beans still to drill. Most forward crops now at early tillering but emergence is still patchy on heavier ground.
Rain from two weeks ago has meant that most crops are now emerging, between 3-10mm Tuesday night has helped to keep crops going and more importantly kept the pre/peri sprays working, still need more rain. 70% crops sprayed.
Aphids: visible on quite a few crops.
Slugs: starting to get more problems particularly on the slow to emerge early sown crops and where wheat drilled after oilseed rape where ground ploughed and combi drilled.
Frit fly: first signs on wheat after oats even with deter dressing and having had Dursban applied at 0.5l/ha with roundup on stubbles 2 weeks prior to drilling.
Mildew: Alchemy on light land worst to date, but also visible on Diego and Humber. No action as frost has killed it. But Alchemy has gone a horrible colour as leaves have died back due to the level of mildew.
Product comment: rain has kicked the herbicide Graduate into action and is now taking out volunteer oilseed rape that has got to 4 true leaves.

Eastern Counties. Brendan Butterworth reports that 90% of first wheats have been drilled and 80% 2nd wheats have been drilled. Majority at GS 1.3-1.4 but patchy emergence. 17 – 20 mm of rain in the last couple of days. Seedbeds since last rain have given good seed to soil contact.
Mildew: a few pustules on Claire and Viscount at growth stage 1.3.
Slugs: activity now seen after rape, some leaf striping.
Aphids: high levels seen in crops.
Weed control: blackgrass at 2 - 3 leaf stage in early-drilled crops that have not been sprayed. Majority of black grass treatments are being applied peri-emergence due lack of drilling depth and soil cover.

North East. Phillip Tuplin reports that some forward crops just tillering, but most at GS 11-13 and have large bare areas within fields where still too dry. Second wheats also emerging now, but again they are very uneven.
Only had 4 mm rain in last 7 days. This is not enough for many areas where another significant rain is needed to wet the seedbeds properly. The total for October so far is only 28 mm, but hopefully the forecast for the rest of the week will turn out to be accurate with at least one wet day.
Virtually all drilling is complete now, and the later drillings went into excellent seedbeds. Traveling is good, and periods when its not been too windy have allowed the spraying program to be kept up to date
Slugs: significant numbers found in some crops after rape, particularly where not been ploughed including some hollowed seed despite the Deter dressing.
Weed control: the pre-emergence herbicides seem to be working reasonably well in areas where crops have emerged, but it will be a while yet before they can be fully assessed. Will apply Atlantis as soon as have significant infestations at 3 leaves, but not seen any fields that have emerged evenly enough to be able to spray yet.

Winter Barley.

South east: all drilled – ranges from emerging to 3 leaves.
South west: now at early tillering early residual treatments seem to have been gentle on the crop with little or no scorch apparent.
Aphids: high captures in trapping systems means vigilance is necessary.  Crops not treated with insecticide seed dressing may require treatment before the herbicide timing.
Eastern region: crops range from chitted to GS 1.3. 90% drilled.
East midlands: crops at 1 leaf but later crops on heavier soil only just showing.
West midlands: crops range from GS 21 to emerging. 100% drilled.
North east: most at GS 11-13 and like in wheat have patchy emergence.