Farming News - AICC Crop report - the latest crop news from the regions.
News
AICC Crop report - the latest crop news from the regions.
26 February 2010. The winter's reluctance to leave has meant very little field work achieved. Growth and planned fertiliser applications still on hold. Winter kill and pigeons are defoliating some oilseed rae crops.
Winter Oilseed Rape
South East. Crops have 6–9+ true leaves – crops are now at rosette stage, hugging the ground and mostly looking purple reflecting recent frosts and cold winds. No sign of any new growth as yet. With low residual soil Nitrogen levels in evidence, first priority will be to apply N+S to most crops once ground and weather conditions are suitable.
first lesions beginning to show now in crops where no fungicides applied pre-Xmas. Proline/Sanction will be applied prior to stem extension to prevent infection of new growth.
Weed control: frost has proved to be a very effective natural “herbicide” on charlock in most crops this year, so much so that most fields will now not need Fox at 0.75-1.00 lt/ha applied (under SOLA). A few fields where rape has been grown closer than 1 year in 4/5 and headlands have moderate levels of Hedge Mustard – these will have Fox but with Oil added to try and boost control.
South West. Pigeon grazing has been severe over the last two weeks with flocks of a thousand birds or more common. Large plants being taken down to leaf blades.
Light leaf spot: can be found where the pigeons have left some leaf and prothioconazole treatments will be applied as soon as ground allows. Careful assessments needed as not all leaf blotches are LLS. If in doubt incubate in polythene bags in a warm place and look out for sporulation
Weed control: Charlock – despite apparent good kill from the frost, closer inspection of charlock patches reveals many surviving small plants so planned Fox applications will still go ahead.
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.
Weed control: 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. Still little or no new growth showing with cold wet soils. A few crops starting to show blue leaves with wet cold feet. Pigeons now found on most crops with some big flocks.
Weed control: Kerb appears to be working well with usual stem symptoms but weeds still look quite green in one or two crops even where Kerb activity seen. Assuming it is down to weeds being “refrigerated” during cold weather, although what slow grow has done to uptake we will have to wait and see. A few delayed applications getting carbetamex this week.
West Midlands. Crops range from bare ground due to pigeons through to overly large crops. Canopies have opened up a lot over the last month as lower leaves die off.
Weed control: 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.
North east. Most crops technically still 8-12 leaves, but there is a lot of winter kill due to cold wet soils, and also severe pigeon damage in many crops.
Light Leaf Spot: no obvious symptoms seen, but its a long time since last fungicide applied so further protection is planned for new growth.
Weed control: where Fox+ Toil applied in December control of Charlock is good, but Runch control is more variable. In some fields the frosts have killed Charlock and Runch, so earlier recommendations for Fox have been withdrawn. Others will still need to be treated.
Winter Wheat.
South East. Growth stages remain in suspended animation due to sustained cold weather and low soil temperatures and range from GS 13 to 22/23, with bulk of crops now at around GS 23+. Continuation of protracted cold weather since mid December has effectively curtailed crop growth for nearly 2 ½ months now, and with heavy rain in last 10 days (2 ½ inches+) soils are again wet and cold, so little prospect of significant growth for a while yet.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: gone in the frost.
Weed control: some significant populations of blackgrass evident following pre-/peri-emergence herbicides – growth stages range from GS12-23 now, but fortunately little growth has happened in last 2 months of cold weather. Outstanding Atlantis applications will be made once soil temperatures recover to 6 C+ - probably not before mid-March.
South West. No change in wheat growth stages over the last 2 weeks. Manganese deficiency is becoming severe on silty clays and greensands as low temperatures and low light intensities continue. Little hope of traveling to apply treatments. Only disease detectable is old Septoria on senescent leaves. Rusts and mildew currently absent. Ground is very wet and sticky and with more rain forecast land work is out of the question.
Brown rust: gone in the frost.
Yellow rust: frost keeping it at bay for now.
Mildew: gone in the frost.
Weed control: fields which missed treatment last autumn in non blackgrass situations have high annual meadow grass populations which will require Othello when things warm up.
Eastern Counties. Crops range from one to seven tillers but the majority are at the three tiller stage. Sporadic snow cover during mid-late February. Hard night frosts. Soils at field capacity apart from very light land. Soil conditions too wet for fertiliser application.
Brown rust: odd pustules on susceptible varieties; Duxford, Zebedee, Cordiale.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: disease present on late drilled crops and on susceptible varieties, Solstice, Conqueror and Claire, but not active.
Septoria: apparent in early drilled and forward crops. Disease not very active.
Weed control: Blackgrass present from and tillering, plants not actively growing and no action until ground warms up.
East Midlands. no change with little or no new growth and roots in wet and cold soil in generally crops look well considering cold conditions but a few look a bit stressed and “greyish”. Second wheat will be in need of some early N but nothing will be done until soil temps rise consistently which looks 1-2 weeks away. Soils very wet and soil temps at 2-3 deg C only No field work envisaged for some time yet. Many fields showing localised ponding.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: gone in the frost.
Septoria: usual lesions found on older leaves.
Weed control: Where Chlortoluron still destined to go on may now move to Othello if meadow grass has started to tiller.
West Midlands. Crops range from GS 25 to GS 11. Some drilled in January just chitting. Lot of dead leaves in bottom of forward crops. Soils cold and wet and still too cold to apply any herbicides. Some frost lift evident where soil has either been waterlogged or where soil wash has taken place during the rapid thaw of 3 weeks ago. Still have a fair acreage with no autumn herbicide.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: sorted out by the cold weather.
Septoria: low levels on bottom leaves.
Weed control: in unsprayed crops annual meadow grass varies between quite a lot (particularly on headlands) to very little. These will get Othello and will use at a minimum of 0.75l/ha +contact (eg Boxer/Checker). Cleavers evident on most fields. Othello+stomp: good control of annual meadow grass and Rye grass where present plus a host of broad leaved weeds. Late applied product has taken a long while to kick in (10 weeks ) but grass weeds now showing signs of dying.
North east: first wheats mostly GS 24-25 mid tillering, and later sown crops GS 21-23. Another 35mm rainfall in last 14 days so most fields are water-logged and some have standing water in low areas.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: gone in the frost.
Septoria: very high levels on all susceptible varieties, and surprisingly severe on Viscount. Robigus is relatively clean.
Weed control: very little Atlantis applied last Autumn so there are some challenging Blackgrass situations this Spring. The applications made last Autumn look as if they have been very effective, but dense patches have some surviving green tillers .
Winter Barley.
Showing typical late winter yellowness. If weather improves first N will be applied towards the end of the month.