Farming News - AICC Crop Report 22 Jan
News
AICC Crop Report 22 Jan
22 January 2010 . Crops emerge from the snow and ice virtually unscathed. Pigeons now pose big threat to oilseed rape crops. No longer any signs of yellow or brown rust in wheat.
Winter Oilseed Rape
South East. There has been very little pigeon damage to date due to prolonged snow cover – crops look fine and have been nicely “squatted” down by sustained cold weather. Looks as though most of charlock around may have been killed by frosts – time will tell if there is any regrowth. Priority at present is to apply remaining Kerb for blackgrass control before end of January (typically these are the heavier and wetter fields) and Crawler before end February.
South West. Rape now prostrate after the frost. A lot of older leaves lost but crop looks in good shape overall. Concern mounting that planned applications of propyzamide will not be made before the January 31st cut off. May need to switch to Carbetamide which can be applied until the end of February.
Eastern Counties. Rape crops looking relatively well as snow has melted. Pigeon grazing is obvious on any areas where rape was ‘sticking out’ of the snow cover. Pigeons currently presenting a real threat as crops have opened up as older leaves die and flocks are beginning to amass and get into backward areas. Charlock seems to have suffered badly during cold weather, but effects vary from field to field and we are still assessing whether or not to apply some Fox to help it on its way.
East Midlands. Crops look “bedraggled” with forward crops having leaf flattened and looking sorry but plenty of good leaf and no sign of any crops loss. Wet feet main problem at moment but so far only isolated patches of crop purpling due to wet feet. Reports of high pigeon numbers in some cases in to the thousand+ - some leaf stripping where patches of crops above snow, but so far damage has been limited. If forecast cold weather for next week kicks in the pigeons could become a real problem on crops. Charlock control not as good from the frosts as hoped due no doubt to the snow cover protecting the charlock.
West Midlands .Charlock in oilseed rape crops has been totally destroyed by the frosts and will not need any treatment, Runch on the other hand has survived and will need treating. At the moment the ground conditions are lousy even the light ground too wet to do anything and cannot see anything being done for at least a fortnight.
Winter Wheat.
South East. Most fields seem to have emerged from the winter freeze relatively unscathed, but are too wet to travel for most part, except on lightest land. No plans for any spraying until soil temperatures recover and days lengthen (probably not before mid-/end-February) sufficiently for Atlantis/Broadway Star to be considered.
South West. Winter dormancy and the cold snap have resulted in little change in wheat over the last month. The cold weather does not appear to have harmed wheat with no severe foliar damage frost heave evident. Land wet and soggy behind melting snow and field work is out of the question. Mildew, brow and yellow rust have all disappeared after the frosts.
East Midlands. No change in crop growth - crops look relatively well after the cold weather and no reports of any loss or snow mould. Soils are very wet and cold. No fieldwork envisaged until after a spell of drier weather.
West Midlands. Crops have emerged from the snow and ice with little obvious damage. Still have a few crops untreated with a herbicide in the autumn but it is too wet to travel. Manganese starting to show on some of the light ground and will need treating as soon as they can travel.
Eastern Counties. Fields have been under a cover of snow for two weeks from early January to the end of last week. Most fields are at field capacity apart from very light land. Where fields are very wet plants are yellowing slightly. Blackgrass which have not been treated is from 3 leaf stage to tillered. The plants look very uncomfortable with the cold temperatures and snow that has persisted on the ground for long periods – not actively growing.
Winter Barley.
This crop seems to have fared the worst from recent cold spell and some crops now look pale and chlorotic. Difficult to tell at this stage if tillers have been lost.