29 May 2015. Early sown winter wheat crops are booting with ears beginning to emerge. Earliest crops are expected to start flowering by the end of this month with the bulk of flowering expected in the first two weeks of June. Septoria still remains the main threat in crops with the disease found on final leaf 4 in many crops. Winter barley crops are now at full ear emergence and for many the gate will now close on this crop until pre-harvest glyphosate applications. Winter oilseed rape crops are beginning to loose petals with the earliest crops reverting to green. Gout fly eggs found on southern spring wheat crops, this pest can be damaging in spring crops.

Met-office forecast for wheat flowering period: Drier and brighter for most throughout, noticeably warmer as winds ease. However showers continue in the northwest Wednesday and Thursday with further rain Friday. Thundery showers likely in southeast Friday. Mostly dry and fine across the UK on Friday, with long periods of sunshine probably much warmer than of late.

• Anthesis in forward wheat crops.

• Brown rust returns to Crusoe.

• Thoughts turn to fusarium treatments.

• Late flowering crops at risk of blossom midge as temperatures rise.

• Mildew develops in some wheat crops.

• Winter barley flowering.

• Spring barley flag leaf emergence

• Spring barley Ramularia developing.

• Spring wheat - check for gout fly eggs.

• Septoria held so far.

• Sugar beet downy mildew creeping in.

• First signs of downy mildew in spring beans.

• First chocolate spots seen in winter beans.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now range from GS37-39 (late November sowings) to more typically GS51-59 for September/October sowings. September & early October sown crops of Cordiale, Crusoe & Skyfall now have ears up to Fully emerged with first pollens sacs likely to show in next few days. With weather turning warmer & potentially unsettled, T3 fungicide choice & rates need to be robust enough to counter threat of Fusarium.
Gout Fly – first eggs being found now on lower leaves of later sown wheats and also Spring Wheat.
Brown rust: fresh pustules now being found on lower leaves of September/early October sown Crusoe, despite the comprehensive T0,  T1 & T2 fungicide programmes applied to date – looks to be an aggressive race of brown rust.
Mildew: still mostly absent.
Septoria: obvious in the lower canopy (leaf 5 and below, with some on top 1/3 of leaf 4 in earlier sown crops), but top 3 leaves remain spotless for now despite nearly 3 inches of rain in May so far. Showery and windy conditions in the last two weeks will have potentially transferred infection onto upper leaves, particularly as many canopies are still relatively short.
Yellow rust: none seen to date.
Eyespot: some general stem based browning is quite widespread - in many cases likely to be Michrodochium.
Weed control: blackgrass survivors from herbicide programmes are now beginning to show above wheat canopies – thicker patches being sprayed-off with Roundup.

Eastern Counties. Early drilled crops now at ear emerging or emerged and flowering (eg Gallant). Later drilled wheats just getting to GS37. Growth stages more in keeping with calendar date now.
Brown rust: trace levels found on Crusoe.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: obvious on old leaves in all situations. T2 imminent. Adexar and Bravo
Yellow rust: trace levels on Solstice.
Eyespot: none seen.
Weed control: Blackgrass areas will get sprayed off with glyphosate in crop.

East Midlands. Many crops have flag emerged with a few showing ears and some in boot. Some late crops have flag leaf just emerged. Forward crops have had a late growth regulator where required. All crops look well.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: low levels in base of some crops have required treatment on flag on Leeds and Claire to preveny mildew moving up with the unsettled weather.
Septoria: many crops are relatively clean with any septoria on bottom older leaves but where any T1 delays some septoria seen on tip of leaf 2 although rest of leaf is clean.
Yellow rust: none seen in crops.
Eyespot: levels remain low.
Weed control: blackgrass now showing above crops but on the whole levels acceptable in the present blackgrass situation with somne fields looking scruffy rather than a problem- totally clean blackgrass fields where it is a problem are not possible anymore. Generally not spraying low levels with Atlantis where resistance known has paid off.

West Midlands. Majority of crops are now either about to boot or are booting with early sown Grafton now with 75% ears 50% out (no anthers seen as yet).Probably going to start T3 as of Saturday which will be 20/21 days since T2 , by which time if it stays warm we may have first anthers showing. Skyfall also appears to be an in a rush as sending ears out rapidly even where sown last week of September, Solstice isclose behind. About 20% crops which are not yet booting ( worst is Evolution it is so slow !!).
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: in the bottom of Leeds and Solstice.
Septoria: still confined to below leaf 3 with most crops maintaining most of leaf 4.
Yellow rust: trace levels on Solstice that didn't get a T0 fungicide.
Eyespot: remains at low levels - less than 5% of stem bases.
Weed control: Good control of grass weeds in general. Groundsel proving to be a bit more difficult to control this year and assume the dry spring prevented herbicide take up.

North East. Flag leaf emerged with forward crops now at early ear emergence.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: beginning to develop on some varieties enough to warrant treatment at T2.
Septoria: moving on to final leaf 4 but no further development seen.
Yellow rust: no new infections seen.
Eyespot: trace levels on some second wheat.
Weed control: post emergence applications for control of blackgrass have been variable. Bindweed and newly emerged cleavers will need treating.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Most crops are now between late flowering and end of flowering with pod set complete – hopefully no more inputs until pre-harvest Roundup now!
Sclerotinia: all crops here in the South were sprayed around 2 weeks ago and those that are still at mid-flowering stage are due for second fungicides now onwards.
Seed weevil: some crops reached thresholds again at the end of last week, mainly in locations where there have been problems in previous seasons.

Eastern Counties. All crops now more or less out of flower except for a few backward areas.
Sclerotinia: most crops received a robust sclerotinia spray before the early may rain. As crops are well past peak flowering it looks as if our goal of a single fungicide application during flowering has been achieved.
Seed weevil: present on several of the sunny warmer days.

East Midlands. All but a few crops at very late flowering with pods set on all stems . Most crops look well with no sign of any disease problems.
Light leaf spot: no sign of any damage yet and hopefully wont see any where early treatments went on.
Sclerotinia: second sclerotinia sprays now on where necessary although some farmers cutting back to one spray with the price of rape
Seed Weevil : levels remain low with no crops at thresholds - the cold weather and rain appear to have kept them away - perhaps gone abroad for the summer?

West Midlands. Crops turning greener by the day (it’s been flowering since around the 10th april now). Hoping for nice warm sunny days to fill pods.
Light leaf spot: no new sightings.
Sclerotinia: all crops have been treated once and very few have elected to go for a second treatment.
Seed weevil : cooler, windy conditions have kept them out of the crops.

North East. Crops mainly at mid to late flowering and looking well.
Phoma: no new sightings.
Light Leaf Spot: no new developments.
Sclerotinia: no signs yet but crops have been treated.
Seed weevil : now at threshold levels in several fields.

Winter Barley.

South: Crops typically now at Awns/ears emerged.
Eastern:  Ears emerging to beginning of flowering. Disease levels remain very low.
West Midlands. Many crops are flowering. All crops remain remarkably free of disease.
East Midlands. Ears now out and expect gate now to be shut unless massive surge in aphids.
North East:  Awn emergence to early flowering. Crops still remain free of disease with only traces of Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium on older leaves.

Spring barley

South East. All crops now range between GS30-32 and have improved dramatically since last weeks inch of rain and cool conditions. Rhynchosporium only low levels noted in most crops to date, only exception is fields that were in barley last year which have moderate levels in lower canopy in places along with some Ramularia beginning to show.
Eastern counties. GS 37 typically. Growing fast. Some with awns just emerging. Traces of Net-blotch just showing. High levels of poppies and bindweed, being treated now.
East Midlands. Crops at GS 30-31 with a few forward crops of Sharda at GS31-32. Some manganese deficiency being seen and manganese in with T1. Crops have very low levels of any diseasea and T1 sprays now going on.
West Midlands. Earliest drilled crops are GS37. Disease levels remain low with but traces oif mildew are developing in thicker crops.
North East. Crops range from GS14-30.Vastly improved by recent rain and remain disease free.

Sugar Beet

The crop is still growing quite slowly during a relatively cool and dry May (rain has been variable across the region). More sheltered , fertile fields have the most forward crops which are now over half-way across the row. Crops open to the wind have suffered, we now have some recent re-drilled areas reaching expanded cotyledon/first true – leaf stage. There was also a battering from hail storms in some locations last week.

Weed control measures are nearing completion we hope! Third post-emergence sprays are currently being applied to tidy up and catch a few new weeds although recent fresh flushes of weeds have not been great. Some fields have been tidy after only two post-emergence sprays this year or only 3 FAR sprays. Volunteer potatoes have been slow to appear and we will continue with control programmes for a couple of weeks yet. All fields are worth inspecting until the rows close over- not wanting to miss an opportunity to control any late emerging troublesome weeds.

Current conditions have been ideal for tractor hoeing and looking at the forecast we will see a flurry of activity next week as well. Crops are slow to close across the row this season giving more time for hoeing. The main target had been weed beet but the hoe has been useful to take out a few surviving larger weeds and also on a few farms it has been employed to help to control some black grass which remains following a hefty herbicide programme.