14 October 2016. Another mainly dry week has allowed winter cereal drilling to continue and many reporting that approaching the end. Concern over dry conditions in the East and reports of some oilseed rape crops failing and uneven emergence in cereals. Phoma only just starting to appear mainly in the south and east.

Phoma just starting to appear.
Large oilseed rape crops plan for autumn PGR.
Blackgrass emerging.
Concerns that too dry for pre-ems to work.
Wheat drilling continues apace.
Slug activity slows.

Winter Wheat

South. Winter wheat drilling now nearly completed, with around 95% of crops in the ground. Earliest sown fields of Lili/Claire are now at GS13-21 – few farms still holding off from drilling worst blackgrass fields until end of October. Looks as though we will get some timely rain this weekend and then looking  reasonably settled and a bit warmer again.
Aphids: none seen in emerged crops to date, but all are Deter treated.
Slugs: rapid emergence and largely dry conditions mean that surface grazing on emerged crops has to date been minimal.
Gout Fly: no eggs seen this week as weather has cooled down dramatically.
Blackgrass: getting concerned that control levels may struggle for crops drilled in last 10-14 days unless rain occurs this weekend, as easterly wind has really dried out surface of seedbeds this week.

Eastern Counties. Much of the crop drilled into dry soil and not moved yet. Where moisture present and in better seedbeds crop is emerging and at up to GS 12. East of Ipswich and Chelmsford is still very 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. Liberator, Crystal are the main pre-ems going on as well as Avadex where needed.

East Midlands. Most drilling now coming to an end apart from later drilled where blackgrass and after maize. Forward crops at GS 13 but recently drilled crops either just showing or chitting.
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: pre-ems going on in good conditions with good seedbeds but some rain would be welcome to moisten the surfaces. In the east of the region it has been too dry to get the best from pre-ems.

West Midlands. Dry weather has allowed drilling to carry on, most managing to roll as well, quite a few farms now drilled up. The most forward wheat now has 1 tiller, plenty of wheat at 1-2 leaves.
Slugs: main concern now is what late sown crops of wheat after rape will be like. Probably up to 20% of area that has needed Sluxx after Gusto at drilling.
Blackgrass: becoming more of a problem in the region. Advice is to avoid drilling for as long as possible and consider Liberator + Defy + Hurricane as a pre/peri emergence control.

North East. Crops range from being drilled to GS 11. A few light showers, but blown dry quickly. Dry conditions for emergence. Main varieties are Crusoe, Reflection, JB Diego, Skyfall, Relay, Leeds, Revelation,Costello and Claire.
Aphids: warm weather, expecting aphid risk sooner.
Slugs: very low activity.
Blackgrass: just starting to emerge.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Crops range from 3 to 6 true leaves – 75% of crops are now around 4-5 true leaves.
Flea beetle: shot holing of leaves seems to have largely stopped for now, hopefully meaning adult activity has also declined.
Phoma: a few leaf spots been seen in Campus and Amelie, otherwise still not evident at all in most crops.
Slugs: most crops now beyond the point where slug grazing will be a problem.
Turnip Sawfly: first larvae seen last week.
Blackgrass: germination is well underway now, though where 750gms Metazachlor has been applied this appears to be providing 30-50% control. Fields with heavy populations are having Centurion Max applied.
Volunteer barley: large flush in min-tilled crops after spring barley in particular. Falcon (0.4-0.6lt/ha) been applied.

Eastern Counties. From 1 to 8 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.
Aphids: found a few in the one bigger crop.
Flea beetle: Suffolk crop is still getting damage on smaller plants, bigger plants seem to be growing away.
Slugs: very low levels.
Blackgrass: some coming now in hotspots.

East Midlands. Forward crops at 6-7 leaves but mainly crops at 3-4 leaves with later ones at 2-3 leaves.
Phoma: just a few marks seen on a field of Incentive but none seen on any other crops. Some crops getting forward where slurry etc applied to fields before planting so will need an autumn PGR.
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 and time will tell if the Centurion Max has done a good enough job but some populations very high which is of concern if we get a mild winter or unable to apply kerb.

West Midlands. No change, early sown crops romping away, late sown crops slow to get going. The majority of crops now have 4-5 true leaves with the earliest drilled 10 leaves plus.
Phoma: trace levels only no development on last week..
Club root: one farm has already found club root on mid August sown rape on land that has been in oilseed rape production for the last 30 years.
Flea beetle: very very low, most damage being seen on the late sown crops.
Aphids: only found cereal aphids so far no peach potato aphids found.
Slugs: keeping a very close eye on crops that are still only 1-2 true leaf.
Blackgrass: emerging on the earlier sown crops - Centurion Max applications as of mid/end of next week .

North East. Crops range from one to 6 leaf. Good growing conditions.
Flea beetle: less activity this week.
Slugs: some problem areas in some fields, control achieved. Many crops moving ahead of slug risk
Blackgrass: good control from graminicides 95% kill seen in some fields. Newly emerging black grass has escaped earlier sprays. Some are coming from cracks in the fields.

Winter Barley.

South.  All winter barley fields drilled, with earliest sown crops now at 2-3 leaves.
Eastern. Crops range from just drilled 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. 85% now in and crops generally emerging to most forward with 4true leaves.
East Midlands. Forward crops at GS 21 and later drilled crops at GS 11.
North East.  Drillings to GS 11. 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.