21 October 2016. The open autumn continued for another week although rain in some areas has delayed some applications. High pressure is set to stay until month's end giving good opportunities to wrap up the autumn sowing and complete field work. Late arrival and slow development of Phoma means that for many one spray treatment will suffice.

More records of Club Root in West Midlands
Phoma more sightings but none at threshold.
Large oilseed rape crops plan for autumn PGR.
Blackgrass emerging.
Concerns that too dry for pre-ems to work.
Wheat drilling continues near completion.
Slug activity slows.

Winter Wheat

South. Winter wheat drilling now completed – what an amazing Autumn we have enjoyed to date. Earliest sown (15th – 20th Sept) fields of Lili/Claire are now at GS21 – bulk of emerged wheats between 1 to 3 leaves. Soils and seedbeds are damp following between 15-25mm last weekend - most seedbeds are generally excellent following rolling and are providing an ideal start to pre-em herbicide programmes.
Aphids: none seen in emerged crops to date, but all are Deter treated.
Slugs: in general slug activity is remarkably light to date, even in historically high risk fields
Gout Fly: no eggs seen this week as weather has cooled down dramatically.
Blackgrass: pre-emergence stacks appear to be providing good levels of control already on earlier sown fields – but appears to be a large flush of blackgrass emerging along with crops in seedbank hotspots.

Eastern Counties. Most chitted except in the far east. Where moisture present and in better seedbeds crops are emerging and at up to GS13. East of Ipswich and Chelmsford is still quite dry. North of Ipswich getting wet.
Aphids: not found any yet.
Slugs: none yet even after oilseed rape.
Gout fly: eggs seen.
Blackgrass: an occasional one now emerging in hotspots where rain has fallen. This slowly continues. Liberator, Crystal are the main pre-ems going on as well as Avadex where needed.

East Midlands. Comment on current growth stages, most forward at 3 leaf, 30% not yet emerged, emergence is now taking 15+days. Those to the west of the region are pretty much drilled up whist those to the east report only 40% drilled.
Aphids: none seen yet.
Slugs: early drilled crops now emerged have required a low rate of pellets after rape, but generally seedbeds good so no pressure on grain hollowing.
Blackgrass: emerging at low levels, recent chemical treatments are having an effect on the grass weed and the crop!

West Midlands. Very much getting close to all clients being drilled up, all wheat after maize in, pretty much all that is left to go in is wheat after fodder beet or late lifted potaotes (skin set issues). Most forward crops at 1-2 tillers, crops drilled 2 weeks ago only just poking through so speed of growth has slowed down. Rain over the last week has done a very good job at picking crops up and now growing away again, ground conditions in terms of spraying still good.
Slugs: big block of second wheat min tilled and not rolled as drilled during the wet weather 3 weeks ago has enough slug grazing to warrant treating, otherwise most second wheat crops OK. Still mainly patching up wheat after rape on small areas with no crops lost yet.
Blackgrass: all pre-ems working well at the moment, topping up low level blackgrass fields with Liberator (where could not use "stacked " pre ems due to soil type/shallow drilling ). Give or take probably 80% drilled has been sprayed.

North East. Crops range from being drilled to GS 11. Not a good spraying week with wind and showers. However, drilling has been achieved between showers. 25mm rain last week. Uneven germination owing to previous dry conditions. Revelation,Costello and Claire.
Aphids: none seen..
Gout fly: eggs seen.
Slugs: activity starting to be seen now there is some moisture.
Blackgrass: only a few blackgrass observed for this time of year, expecting more germination this week with moisture present.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Crops range from 4-8 true leaves – 75% of crops are now around 5-6 true leaves.
Phoma: a few more leaf spots now being found more widely this week (been seen in Campus, Flamingo, Picto and Amelie), otherwise still not evident at all in many crops. Plover being applied now to crops where Phoma being found, otherwise will wait until early November and use either Refinzar or Proline to give dual purpose control of Phoma and Light leaf spot
Flea beetle: shot holing of leaves seems to have largely stopped for now.
Slugs: most crops now beyond the point where slug grazing will be a problem.
Blackgrass: where 750gms metazachlor has been applied this appears to be providing 30-50% control and Centurion Max also appears to be working well on fields with densest populations.
Volunteer wheat: many min-tilled crops after wheat will need a second graminicide now as has been another significant flush of volunteers.

Eastern Counties. From 4 to 10 true leaves. Mostly farms have lost the crop due to drought except a small block at Wickford and a block just north of Ipswich. Dry in Essex, moist in Suffolk.
Phoma: none seen yet.
Aphids: no further aphids found.
Flea beetle: smaller plants still being bothered.
Slugs: very low levels.
Blackgrass: some coming now in hotspots. Big flush of cranesbill on one field in Suffolk, already at 1 true leaf. This crop has been destroyed.

East Midlands. Forward crops at 6-7 leaves but mainly crops at 3-4 leaves with later ones at 2-3 leaves. Some crops getting forward where slurry etc applied to fields before planting so will need an autumn PGR.
Phoma: just visible within last 3 days.
Club root: continues to be found where not seen before but not at high levels and machine cleanliness will be a necessity in these situations to prevent spread.
Flea beetle: activity dropping off.
Slugs: continue to be a problem on later crops.
Blackgrass: still emerging - Centurion Max at 3 leaf of grass, early applied working well.

West Midlands. Earliest sown crops with poultry litter/sludge cake or DAP now getting above the top of my wellies! Most crops growing well, with just the very late crops (end of the first week September) sowings taking a while to get going.
Phoma: just starting to come in now but nowhere near 10% threshold. Proline (0.35l/ha) on big crops, Refinzar ( 0.5l/ha ) on crops that are late sown or on light land and not growing vigorously.
Club root: ripped 40 acres up this week and going into winter beans.
Flea beetle: very very low.
Slugs: mainly OK, but can see having a good go on lower leaves on biggish crops.
Blackgrass: emerging on the earlier sown crops - Centurion Max applications as of mid/end of next week .

North East. Crops range from 2 - 7 leaf. Good growing conditions.
Phoma: none seen yet.
Leaf minor: becoming apparent in some crops.
Slugs: some problem areas in some fields, control achieved. Many crops moving ahead of slug risk
Blackgrass: variable results from graminicides, new blackgrass emerging in some fields.

Winter Barley.

South.   All Winter barley fields drilled, with earliest sown crops now at GS13-21. Few winged adults seen on winter barley at 2-3 leaves this week, but all crops are Deter treated.
Eastern. Crops range from just chitting to GS12. Uneven germination in heavy soils. Owing to delayed drillings, some more crops may be swayed from spring crops to winter crops depending on field situations.
West Midlands. All crops should be in by the end of this week, crops range in growth stage from emerging to 1 tiller.
East Midlands. Forward crops at GS 21 and later drilled crops at GS 11.
North East.  Drillings to GS 12. Uneven germination in heavy soils. Owing to delayed drillings, some more crops may be swayed from spring crops to winter crops depending on field situations.