18 November 2011. The mild autumn has seen a dramatic increase in mildew in winter barley crops across the country. Brown rust in winter wheat seems to be restricted to South and East but where present it is developing on to new leaves. In winter oilseed rape Phoma levels have reached 10% leaf infection in the North East but elsewhere progress of the disease has been slow. BYDV threat in all cereals remains high this year.

• Phoma levels increasing.
• Powdery mildew on oilseed rape. 
• Brown rust in winter wheat South and East. 
• Mildew increasing dramatically in winter barley and present in wheat.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South East. Crops range from 5-6 leaves to 9-10 true leaves and are all still growing quite rapidly in this continuous open autumn.
Slugs: most crops now out of danger from slug damage.
Phoma: most unsprayed crops have now got 5-10% leaf spotting and are being sprayed with fungicides now – with such a late onset of visual infection coupled with the large size of many canopies/plants, this should now only be a 1-spray Phoma season for many crops.
Weed control: blackgrass- worst fields still planned to have soil acting herbicide applied when soils sufficiently cool and rape canopies open up sufficiently – probably not before late November or December.

Eastern Counties. Growth has slowed, heavier land fields which had suffered in the dry weather have picked up colour since the rain. Some light land fields are beginning to show some loss of older leaf and opening up a little but on the whole the majority of crops are still as forward as we have ever seen and giving complete ground cover. I expect we will be delaying and saving on N in the spring.
Powdery Mildew: seen fairly extensively in early drilled forward.
Phoma: seen on all fields. Where Proline has already been applied Phoma lesions have dried up.
Weed control: Charlock now flowering above the crop, generally levels are low and not competitive. Soil acting herbicides for blackgrass control still delayed until soil temperatures drop.

East Midlands. Crops now look more like spring than autumn with continued growth and a spring like colour
Slugs: crops out of danger of any damage now.
Phoma: none seen but phoma sprays now going on while weather is good.
Weed control: blackgrass is growing as rapidly as the rape. Kerb now going on with fungicides although some crops will be left until canopy opens up when (if) we get frosts. Continued dry weather is of concern. Charlock plentiful and like the rape growing rapidly, Fox now applied although would have liked to have seen some frosts after the Fox.

West Midlands. Crops range from 8-10 true leaves to 1-2 true leaves. Irrigated crops responded well ( some started 2 weeks later than others these are only just at 1 leaf). Another 10-14 days of this mild weather will see most crops capable of surviving the winter.
Slugs: still none seen.
Pigeons: the late emerging crops are going to be very difficult to keep pigeons off BUT if ever there was a season to be very vigilant this is the season for it because the plants are so small they will just be ripped out of the ground.
Leaf miner: damage has been quite severe in some areas, but no new signs.
Phoma: just becoming apparent in some crops.
Weed control: hedge mustard appearing in more fields than usual.

North East. Crops continue to grow in the current conditions, with many at 10 – 12 leaves.
Phoma: lesions are easily found now, with some crops nearing 10 % plants infected level.
Weed control: The combination of early post-emergence Springbok followed by Aramo when Blackgrass at Gs11-12 has done a good job in most fields, but not good enough to close the gate. An application of Kerb Flo at 2.0 L/ha is planned for mid-November. Most of this has been applied despite the above average temperatures so that any spray windows that arise can be used to apply Atlantis in wheat crops.

Winter Wheat

South. Drilling of first and second wheats all completed. Earliest sown wheats now at GS22+, though bulk of crops are at GS 13-21.
Brown rust: high levels present in most crops of Claire and developing in Cordiale and Solstice.
Mildew: high levels present in some earlier sown fields of Gallant and Cordiale in particular
Yelow rust: hard to distinguish early pustules from brown rust, but I have my suspicions that it is widely present in Solstice and Gallant in particular.
Gout fly: still very little evidence of new egg laying despite warm weather.
Slugs: Following recent rains there has been a marked increase in foliar shredding particularly after oilseed rape, though also evident in a few fields after S.Beans, where seedbeds are cloddier and along old chaff lines.
Weed control: follow up applications of Atlantis or GF2070 applications now being made where blackgrass has started tillering within the field, otherwise applications will be delayed until the second half of November.

Eastern Counties. Majority of crops have filled in the patches now. Crops range from 3lvs – 3 tillers generally but most forward crops have 7-9 tillers plus.
Brown rust: increase in incidence of disease and appearing on newer leaves in some forward crops. Varieties include Claire, Grafton, Hereford, Santiago and Invicta.
Mildew: most crops exhibiting low levels, particularly Claire and Solstice.
Slugs: still only very low levels.
Aphids: no increase on last week.
Weed control: mixed levels of blackgrass control. Previous dry conditions haven’t helped. Poor levels of cranesbill control in places.



East Midlands. All crops now emerged with varying stages of growth from two leaf to early tillering. Even late drilled crops after maize at GS13. Soils tacky on top but relatively dry no wet areas at all. Lower down in soil profile quite dry.
Slugs: damage remains very low with no problems.
Mildew: remains low and no action being taken.
Weed control: blackgrass now emerged in most fields where expected although a few fields show very little after pre em. Atlantis now going on crops where blackgrass at 1-3 leaves with some crops sprayed already and more being done this week. Several days of damp misty weather delayed spraying last week. Some patchy crops with little or no blackgrass will now be treated in spring unless a surge in blackgrass this side of Christmas.

West Midlands. Since the beginning of the rain 3 weeks ago the majority of crops ( even on the heaviest ground ) are either up at 1-2true leaf or just emerging, even wheat drilled week commencing 7th september are coming through. I think we have lost 3-5% of seed on these fields either through blue mould or simply not chitting at all. Another week of warm weather will see all fields up. Spraying conditions have been ideal over the last two weeks and as such pretty much all wheat ( bar wheat after turf and fodder beet ) has now been sprayed. Leaving wheat after long term turf until the spring for either Othello or Atlantis.
Slugs: some evidence this week of either hollowing or slight grazing.
Aphids: continuing mild conditions means that will more than likely spray non Deter crops sprayed 3-4 weeks ago again.
Mildew: easily found on crops of Solstice, Grafton and Humber but no where at treatable levels.
Weed control: Have had to overspray one crop of wheat after oilseed rape with Oriel SX where Crystal + Graduate could no cope. Very impressive if somewhat slow.

North East. Earliest sown crops at GS 25. Latest sown have developed from germination to GS 12 in 14 days.
Slugs: no new problems found this week.Only slight grazing on emerged crops been seen.
Aphids: normally spraying for aphids would be all done now, but even the latest crops to emerge are being treated this year.
Mildew: low level seen in most forward crops
Weed control: there has been a significant Blackgrass emergence in the last 7 days, and is now in the range 1 leaf to several tillers. A lot of fields are ready to spray with Atlantis now. This will be partnered with Stomp Aqua, Auxiliary or Defy depending on pre-emergence program. Good spraying conditions are essential for any chance of a good result. Atlantis plus Auxiliary @ 2.5L applied to known ‘challenging’ Blackgrass 18 days ago - Blackgrass ranging from 1 leaf to several tillers looks well controlled, but it will only be a good result if no more comes through.

Winter Barley.

South. Crops now range in growth stage from GS13-22+ - all crops growing rapidly in current mild conditions. Mildew - quite high levels noted on lower leaves of some crops of Cassia. Brown rust pustules evident in most crops now.
East. Crops growing rapidly with most forward at 7 or 8 tillers and just below wellington boot height. In the most forward and un-treated crops mildew is rife.
East Midlands. Crops are now tillering. Mildew levels have increased rapidly in the last 2 weeks and most crops requiring fungicide in with herbicide.
West Midlands. Earliest sown crops now at two tillers. Mildew is increasing and if the forecast next week is for continued mild weather may well spray a lot of crops with Kayak.
North East. Crops are in the range of GS21-24+, and some are getting quite big and dense. Mildew levels have stayed high, particularly, in Cassia. There are significant levels in the 6-row varieties as well.