20 May 2016. Flag leaf emergence in winter wheat crops is now universal and early crops have already received their T2 applications. Septoria continues to be the main threat although yellow rust is still evident in some crops. Blackgrass control has been more patchy this year with the cool conditions at the time of herbicide applications behind most failures. There is anecdotal evidence that this weed is spreading in the West Midlands. The national oilseed rape crop has had a very extended flowering period with some fields only now coming into full flower whilst others are nearing complete petal fall. Winter barley crops are now at ear emergence to early flowering signaling the end of any further treatments to this crop before harvest. Rhynchosporium is beginning to develop in Spring barley crops in the South.

Winter Wheat

• T2 continues.
• Yellow rust still active.
• Septoria main threat.
• Ear emergence in forward crops.
• Blackgrass poor control and spreading.

Winter Oilseed Rape

• Yellow bud to mid pod set.
• Sclerotinia control.
• Seed Weevil at threshold.

Winter Barley

• Ear emergence.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now mostly in range GS37–45 though one crop of Solstice seen with ears emerging in last few days. The recent warmer days and nights have continued to accelerate crop growth. T1s were all completed end April/early May with T2 applications around 50% completed now and remainder due in the next week – in many cases it will only be a 14-21 day interval between T1 to T2.
Brown Rust: being well controlled to date by T0 and T1 fungicides.
Yellow Rust: no new infections noted.
Mildew: trace levels only..
Septoria: still very obvious now on older leaves, generally leaf 5 and below, but some showing up on tip leaf 4 of September sown crops. With ample rain splash events in last 10 days or so, it will be imperative that T2 applications are well timed and based on new generation SDHIs
Aphids: BYDV symptoms surprisingly high levels also evident in some fields in sheltered coastal locations.
Slugs: no new damage.
Weed control: blackgrass control shows quite a bit of field to field variation and overall control looks to be below expectation probably due to very variable temperatures during March applications.

Eastern Counties. Earliest drilled crops now have boots splitting on main shoots (Gallant) whilst most have flag leaf out either fully or ½ emerged. The latest drilled crops have the flag leaf just showing.
Brown Rust: trace levels only on Crusoe.
Yellow Rust: T2 timing will be tight where rust is still showing. Imminent or on.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: low levels on all varieties but some bad hot spots in thicker crops.
Eyespot: some lesions now showing in second or subsequent wheats. Not generally penetrating too far into the stem.
Aphids: patches of BYDV now showing.
Weed control: blackgrass control seems to be worse this season than last. Glyphosate on worst areas. Starting to go on now before seeds are viable.

East Midlands. Most crops have flag leaf emerging or nearly emerged. All crops look well. Field conditions are fine but as usual the rain knows when to start to stop sprayers! T2 sprays imminent, usually based on an SDHI depending on variety.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow Rust: earlier T1 treatments have kept in in check so T2 sprays should keep it at bay.
Mildew: Remains very low..
Septoria: generally crops have at least 4 clean leaves and timely T2 sprays should keep it in check.
Eyespot: generally at low levels and not penetrating outer leaf sheaths.
Aphids: none seen.
Weed control: Brome control - brome has not died back as well as expected.

West Midlands.  Most Grafton has the flag leaf fully out, along with early sown Crusoe and Skyfall. The majority of other wheat crops have the flag leaf emerging anywhere from 10% - 75% out (this apart from late sown crops after maize and beet). Majority of early sown crops ( KWS Lili, Grafton, Crusoe, Skyfall have all had T2 applied over the last 6 days, early sown second wheats have now also started, some because we have to ( 23+ days since T1) some because flag leaf bang out and on 21 days since T1 and some because flag leaf bang out even though only 15-16 days post T1.
Yellow Rust: Reflection - any missed areas such as around telegraph poles are completely dead.
Mildew: now virtually non existent.
Septoria: so far septoria control looking good with plenty of crops with leaf 4 still clean.
Aphids: BYDV just getting worse as we go on. Plenty of crops where no distinct patches but areas of purple leaf tips and suspect growth habits.
Slugs: plenty of activity after recent rains.
Weed control: blackgrass more tell-tale signs of its spread within Shropshire as we find plants in head where not expected and where we have dead blackgrass next to heading blackgrass. Resistant Italian Ryegrass becoming more common.

North East. Crops range from GS 32 to flag leaf now fully out. It has been a cool dry week. No rain and an average temperature of 9.5 degrees. Fertiliser applications made this week. A few fields with organic manure not releasing N quickly as expected.
Yellow Rust : under control from robust fungicide.
Brown Rust: none seen.
Mildew: low levels in variety Leeds.
Septoria: T1 complete, Septoria levels high if T0 was not applied, very high levels on old leaves.
Weed control: blackgrass is now flowering.

Winter Oilseed Rape

South. Finally even the most backward/pigeon grazed crops are now flowering, with most  other fields now between full to late flower with only side branches showing flower now.
Light Leaf Spot: effectively dried up by recent fungicide applications.
Sclerotinia: with petals dropping and showery conditions  forecast again for next week risk of potential infection remains high with spores having been detected on petals at monitoring sites. Most crops here in the South were sprayed @ early flowering and have been re-sprayed in the last 5-7 days where still flowering.
Club root: severe symptoms found in only two fields so far.
Seed Weevil: plenty of adults seen again this week as warmer weather encourages migration and many crops are approaching  thresholds for spraying (1 weevil/plant)

Eastern Counties. Many varied growth stages in fields. Some are now at approx 60% of pods set, some are still only just showing signs of flowering in parts of the field. Mainly linked to wet, pest damage and weed burden. Warm sunny weather helped this week. Pod set levels vary greatly. Some crops seem very reluctant to set pods!
Light Leaf Spot: under control.
Sclerotinia: some growers are applying a second spray where flowering is protracted.
Aphids: none seen.
Seed Weevil: non seen yet.

East Midlands. Many crops approaching late flowering and well podded up. Noticeable where growth regs missed due to weather.
Light Leaf Spot: a few new spots found last week in Arazzo.
Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays all on and very few will have a second follow up, just a few early sprayed crops.
Seed Weevil: numbers remain very low even on headlands.

West Midlands. Crops are just starting to turn especially light land crops and not looking as bright yellow as last week. Sclerotinia sprays will have been on 3 weeks from Wednesday 25 May running through to Saturday 28th, so hoping I am right on the turning issue and majority of crops will be green rather than yellow by the end of next week
Light Leaf Spot: crops now treated.
Pollen Beetle: low levels especially in backward areas of crops.
Seed Weevil: none seen.

North East. Crops now range from early flowering to late Flowering.
Light Leaf Spot: noticeable on all varieties.
Pollen beetle : low levels.
Cabbage stem flea beetle larvae: causing some damage in few rape crops.
Seed Weevil : none seen.
Weed control : cleaver control has not worked well due to cold conditions at time of application.

Winter Barley.

South. Most crops have now raced along to awns/ears emerging and T2 fungicide applications mostly completed – Next pass should be the combine.
Eastern. Ears emerged common. Furthest forwards have 80% + ears emerged. Warmer weather helped move barleys on last week. Crops looking more even now.
West Midlands. Most crops now with awns/ears emerging, vast majority have had T2 applications. Volume and Bazooka are flowering. Crops clean down to the ground. BYDV severe in fields that had no insecticidal seed treatment.
East Midlands. Awns now out and T2 sprays on so should hopefully now be able to shut the gate.
North East. Awn to full ear emergence. Rhynchosporium developing in the bottom of the canopy.

Spring Barley

South. Crops range from GS13 to GS31. Rhynchosporium: low levels of infection noted this week in March sown crops.
Eastern. First drillings now tillering well. GS 25/31 common in early crops. Earliest crops are coming towards the T1 fungicide timing.
West Midlands. Crops anywhere from 3 leaves to 5+ tillers /GS 30. T1 applications started this Monday on the most forward crops. Aphids are quite easy to find.
East Midlands. Crops at GS 24-30 and look well but a few have struggled where soils capped after drilling. Disease levels remain very low.
North East.  Crops range from emergence to GS 23. Some drier spots causing delay in emergence.