27 September 2013. In contrast to last year it looks very likely that the planned acreage of winter oilseed rape will be achieved this autumn. Crops are establishing quickly and there is little slug damage recorded so far. Winter cereal drilling is continuing at a pace too with many first wheat crops drilled and most forward now at two leaf stage. Winter barley crops are going in and drilling of second wheats has started. Comments that blackgrass is emerging very quickly so pre-emergence herbicides need to be on quickly.

• Earliest winter wheat at 2 leaf stage
• Slugs active in some crops
• Blackgrass emerging quickly
• Oilseed rape range from cotyledon to 6 true leaves

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. All fields drilled and range from Cotyledon to 4-5 true leaves – around half of crops are now around 2 true leaves.
Phoma: none seen to date.
Slugs: good seedbeds and dry soils have minimised problems to date this autumn in most cases.
Turnip Sawfly: no larvae seen as yet.
Weed control: moderate/high levels of blackgrass emerged/emerging in some crops.

Eastern Counties. Excellent even establishment in earlier drilled crops now 4 to 5 true leaves. Later drilled towards the very end of August were being sown into very drying seedbeds and then encountered some cold conditions in September. The seed has emerged well and young plants are now basking in warmer conditions. However, plant size is variable due to some seedling emergence being delayed from lack of moisture and there are a large number of cotyledon rape still in these fields. The young seedlings are struggling a bit in trashy areas and there appears be a little slowing of growth from metazachlor activity. Plant numbers look good.
Flea beetle: fair amount of shot holing on some larger plants but not sufficient to consider spraying and new leaves appear unaffected.
Slugs: activity is generally low, many crops are now past the vulnerable stage. For areas where there are many cotyledon rape a second application has been made- often patch applied..
Leaf miner: blistering seen but at low levels.
Weed control: second flush of volunteer barley. Novall + Centium appears to be working well at present. Very few emerged weeds. Fat hen on light land but this tends to succumb over winter. Small emerged hedge mustard seedlings very affected by clomazone.

East Midlands. Many forward crops at 3-4 leaves with later crops at cotyledon to 1 leaf.
Slugs: active and now a flush of juveniles causing some damage similar to flea beetle – difference is small slugs can be found under leaves. Half rate pellets going on where problem. Generally one application of half rate pellets has been enough to let rape establish well.
Weed control: blackgrass emerging quicker than rape – where post em yet to go a graminicide will be added but where crops already sprayed then Centurion Max being tried. Early post ems look to be working well. Where some bleaching of crops due to Centium then Centurion Max being held off for a bit until crops stronger.

West Midlands. Crops growing quickly in the current mild weather and they range for cotyledon to 6 true leaves and looking like a forest.
Slugs: some patches of crop loss on particularly heavy ground and on min tilled lighter land. Need monitoring carefully.
Leaf miner: becoming more obvious in some crops but not at damaging levels.
Weed control: some crops really have taken up a good dose of centium and have a lovely yellow tinge to them.


North East. All planned crops now in the ground and crops range from cotyledon to 4 true leaf. Crops growing well in the current conditions. There has been more germination this week with the damp soils. Average temperature for the week: 14 degrees. Rain – 2.1 mm for the week.
Slugs: a little activity.
Weed control : more cranesbill emerging this week.

Winter Wheat

South. Drilling underway with the aim to sow most first wheats  by end of September. Any farms growing second wheat Cordiale/Solstice with Latitude planning to finish drilling these by 5th-10th October. All except the finest seedbeds will need rolling to optimise performance of pre-emergence sprays and also help reduce slug risk.
Slugs: trapping of fields after oilseed rape pre-/or post-drilling is indicating generally only low levels of slug activity..
Weed control: blackgrass emerging within 5-7 days of drilling – these having Roundup applied with Pre-emergence sprays.

Eastern Counties. Most first wheat is now in and earleiest sown crops are at the 2 leaf stage. Second wheat drilling is just starting. Most forward wheat is at 2 leaves. Slugs are not too bad.
Slugs: no major problems yet but recent heavy rains have brought these and snails back into the picture.

East Midlands. Wheat drilling in earnest now with earlier crops at 1 leaf. Soils good but some dry cloddy seedbeds particularly after ploughing.
Weed control: Pre em sprays going on or due to go on but dry soils cause some concern – could do with an nice shower of rain. Also cloddy soils of concern but better to have pre ems on rather than wait for rain and then find blackgrass emerging.

West Midlands. Crops drilled so far range from chitting to 2 true leaves. The majority of wheat following winter oilseed rape is now drilled along with a proportion after spring break crops. Second wheat drilling started this week all dressed with latitude. Rough guess 50% now drilled. Drilling cracked on from Friday onwards and have started rolling again, seed beds are very good with ploughing and min till.
Slugs: Unrolled wheat after rape on cloddy seedbed will need an application of sluxx if we get wet weather in the next 5-7 days, easy to find dead slugs from application of minis
Weed control: Pre ems applications will need to be pretty swift as the weeds are coming up at the same rate as the wheat.

North East. Drilling in progress. Main varieties this year will be Grafton, JB Diego, Duxford, Cougar, Oakley, Scout and Alchemy.