29 April 2016. A run of frosts and cold winds has really slowed development particularly in winter oilseed rape crops with many seeming hesitant to fully flower. Winter wheat crops range from GS30 (late sowns in the North East) to GS 33 (early sowns in Eastern Counties). T1 applications are underway but hampered by showers and windy conditions. Yellow rust still threatens in North East. Perhaps the biggest surprise this week is the number of reports of slug activity with some crops needing treatment.

Winter Wheat

• yellow rust declining after T0
• BYDV becoming very evident.
• Final leaf 2 starting to appear in forward wheat.
• Slugs still active despite the cold.
• T1 applications started
• Blackgrass heading

Winter Oilseed Rape

• Yellow bud to early pod set.
• pollen beetle numbers declining.
• Light leaf spot

Winter Barley

• Rhychosporium developing in some crops.
• Flag leaf on forward crops.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now range from GS31 to early GS32 –   September sown Trinity and Reflection are showing tip leaf 2 10%+ emerged, and  late September/early October sown Skyfall and Crusoe are generally at leaf 3, 50-75+%  emerged. Cold conditions again this week with some sharp frosts have once again tempered speed of growth, however, leaf emergence is now being driven more by increasing day length than temperature. T1s applied to more forward crops end of last week, but most crops are only due this weekend/early next week, typically only 14-21 days after T0 – no doubt T2 will arrive somewhere between 15th-20th May. Most fields are travelling OK as we have fortunately missed the more substantial showers (rain, hail and snow!) again this week.
Brown Rust: recent colder conditions have slowed any progression to new leaf. Triazole or Strob with T0 applications in first 10 days of April.
Yellow Rust: triazole applications appear to be holding disease progression and T1 applications should maintain foliar protection until T2. Only caveat would be if conditions remain cool and is a 4 week gap between T1/T2 as leaf 2 could be prone to re-infection – may be a need for a T1.5 holding triazole.
Mildew: combination of low N status of most soils now and cold conditions has prevented any resurgence to date.
Septoria: very obvious on older leaves of all September and early October sown wheats –  cool conditions of last 3-4 weeks have certainly helped in reducing visible inoculum levels on newer growth.
Eyespot: increasingly visible now with cool and damp soils favouring development,  particularly in earlier sown crops of Crusoe, along with WW2 and wheat after oats
Aphids: BYDV symptoms beginning to show up quite widely now as crops respond to N in some late September/early October sown wheats not oversprayed with Cypermethrin until February. Surprisingly high levels also evident in some fields in sheltered coastal locations that were sprayed in early December following Deter seed treatment indicating significant virus transmission in November. Looks like being worst year for BYDV since 2012 in the South, as can even be found in Deter dressed late October sown wheat.
Slugs: some very high levels of leaf shredding now evident in some fields after oilseed rape again, with every emerged leaf being grazed – re-pelleting required on worst fields.
Weed control: blackgrass control to date is looking reasonable, with 75-90% of plants now showing shoot yellowing.

Eastern Counties. Earliest drilled have leaf 3 fully emerged (Gallant), most have leaf 3 half to 3/4 out, latest drilled leaf 3 showing. Wet and cold continues slowing growth. T1 now going on and is robust in light of the recent wet weather, especially if the T0 was omitted.
Brown Rust: trace levels only. T0 imminent.
Yellow Rust: T0 keeping this disease in check so far.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: low levels on all varieties but some bad hot spots in thicker crops.
Aphids: None found but patches of BYDV now showing up in crops from winter infection.
Weed control: Blackgrass evident in all usual hotspots and now heading. Some of the worst areas are horrendous and will be destroyed. Very little over wintered weeds where robust pre-ems used. Little sign yet of spring germinators except some charlock.

East Midlands.  Many crops at or near GS 32 with leaf 3 50% to 90% out. Later crops have tip of leaf 3 just showing. The run of cold and showery weather has delayed spraying but fields conditions good for travel so able to apply Nitrogen or pre ems.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow Rust: No new rust as T0 sprays have worked well.
Mildew: Remains very low with the cold nights and frosts.
Septoria: Plenty on lower leaves and results of delayed T0 can be seen on lower leaves. So far leaf 4 and emerging 3 look clean but at risk.With the delayed T0 this has taken pressure off of T1 but sprays will be needed in the next few days to keep the window between application to 2-3 weeks.
Eyespot: generally low but some stem based browning seen.
Aphids: none seen.
Weed control: Brome control - good activity from Broadway Star but some brome has not die back as well as expected, but this may be a temperature thing at spraying with up and down temperatures in March.

West Midlands. Crops now range from leaf three just showing to final leaf 2 50% out. T1 applications started at the end of last week but catchy conditions over the past week has delayed some applications.
Brown Rust: still there at much reduced levels.
Yellow Rust: very much in the decline.
Mildew: now virtually non existent.
Septoria: very evident on older leaves and with wind and heavy showers will be readily transferred to emerging leaves..
Aphids: BYDV patches becoming more evident in many crops now.
Weed control: very few spring germinating weed so far.

North East. Late drilled at GS 30, September drilled up to GS33
Yellow Rust : Reflection at high levels, trace levels on KWS Lili and Evolution.
Brown Rust: none seen.
Mildew: low levels in variety Leeds.
Septoria: Most varieties really showing signs again, on younger leaves now. Very robust T1 planned started on Monday for next 7 days
Weed control: blackgrass at flag leaf. More spring germinators seen, charlock, hemp nettle, wild oats

Winter Oilseed Rape

South. With a continuation of cool days and occasional frosty nights, growth remains   slow, with even backward crops finally growing away from  pigeons. Crops range from Yellow bud (Amalie and pigeon grazed) to 30%  flowers visible (Campus and Ovation).
Light Leaf Spot: - conditions remain very favourable for renewed infection meaning that early flowering sprays will need to have good Light leaf spot activity.
Phoma: no recent sightings.
Club root: severe symptoms found in only two fields so far.
Pollen beetle: with weather looking to remain cool, backward and pigeon grazed crops could remain vulnerable to attack for another 2 weeks.

Eastern Counties. Many varied growth stages in fields. Some are now at mid floweing with first 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. Cold and wet weather is slowing backward crops still.
Light Leaf Spot: Variable levels across different fields and varieties. Not bad but usually able to find a background level. Varieties with poor resistance ratings will get a flowering spray that has activity for LLS.
Aphids: none seen.
Pigeons: really hitting crops hard still. Some severe grazing.

East Midlands. Many crops at early flowering with first pods forming, a few crops have patches still to flower where pigeon damage. Many crops look well. Last N to go on now as crops get more forward.
Light Leaf Spot: finally all sprays on, especially the at risk crops.
Pollen beetle: Pollen beetle numbers generally low.
Aphids: none seen.

West Midlands. Crops range from yellow bud to full flower. Flowering within crops is patchy due to run of cold nights.
Light Leaf Spot: crops now treated.
Pollen Beetle: low levels especially in backward areas of crops.

Flea beetle : none seen.

North East. Crops now range from yellow bud to early petal fall.. Some crops are looking short where soils have been wet. Y
Pollen beetle : low levels.
Light Leaf Spot: still causing issues and all planned to receive another fungicide.
Phoma: trace levels.
Pigeons: have been more problematic than last year, stripping leaf from many crops.

Winter Barley.

South. More forward crops now at around GS 33-37 and more backward fields around GSS31 – all earlier crops have had  T1 fungicides applied this week and rest are due now. Only low levels of net-blotch, Rhynchosporium and mildew found.
Eastern. GS 33 common. The most forward have flag leaf emerged. BYDV patches evident. Remain short with little straw.
West Midlands. Most forward crops have tip of flag leaf just showing. BYDV patches are starting to stand out more and more. Disease levels still remain low.
East Midlands. Flag leaf just starting to emerge in earlier crops and leaf 2 in later crops. Disease levels remain low so far with clean new growth.
North East. Crops mainly at GS 32/33. Rhynchosporium beginning to develop.

Spring Barley

South. 90% fields are drilled and range from just sown to 3 leaves. Remaining fields will hopefully get sown next week
Eastern. First drillings now tillering well. Drilling generally finished. Emergence generally good and frequent showers preventing bad capping. Cold weather doesn’t seem to be slowing barley too much.
West Midlands. Majority of spring barley should all be in by the end of this week with the earliest crops at 2-3 true leaves. Some herbicide damage seen.
East Midlands. Crops at 1-3 leaves but some still being drilled where fields have had to dry out.
North East.  All crops now in with earliest now at full emergence. Field conditions still wet.