South East. Earliest sown crops of Gallant and Solstice now beginning to stand up and are approaching GS29, otherwise Claire,Cordiale and Scout now at late tillering. Later sown crops generally at around GS 22+. Has been some steady growth in last two weeks, but cold winds and sharp frosts in last week have checked everything again – thinner chalks being rolled now.
Septoria: obvious on oldest leaves.
Mildew: noticeable on older leaves of thicker crops of Solstice in particular.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: Atlantis applied at middle to end of November appears to have generally controlled around 95-98%+ of blackgrass. All unsprayed fields being picked off on milder days and when conditions suitable for spraying/travelling.

South West. Crops are well tillered, green and leafy in the current mild conditions.  Little evidence of the cold December to be seen in today's crops. Too wet to travel except on the lightest land.
Septoria: a lot of Septoria on old leaves of susceptible varieties.
Mildew: no fresh development.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: : remaining Atlantis applications for blackgrass control are scheduled to be applied as soon as ground conditions allow.

Eastern Counties. Late September crops have “stood up” over the last week or so.  On dissecting the stems this week, forward tillers on varieties like Gallant and Robigus are not much more than a week or so away from GS30 or ear at 1 cm.  To put it in modern parlance, early crop will get to ‘T-zero’ in mid – late March.  Solstice and Oakley drilled at a similar time are just a few days behind.  For Ocober sowings, it could be well into April before the ‘T0’ timing. First nitrogen/sulphur applications are underway and complete on many crops.
Wheat Bulb Fly: dead heart symptoms can be seen in wheat following sugar beet and potatoes.
Septoria: visible on older leaves particularly on Oakley and Viscount.
Mildew: low levels present but active on some forward crops.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: some blackgrass now at three leaf stage where no pre-emergence has been applied and Atlantis applications now underway .

East Midlands. Forward crops at GS 25-29 but many crops at GS 23-24 with late crops after maize at GS 23. Growth is steady rather than rapid due to cold soils with night frosts in the last week down to -4. Soil conditions are generally good but heavier soils still have a few wet patches, particularly headlands which has held up some field work.
Septoria: found on older lower leaves but upper leaves clear so far but no doubt have some infection occurring so chlorothalonil at T0 is envisaged.
Mildew: none seen.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: fields with blackgrass have had Atlantis or Pacifica in last week or so.

West Midlands. Early sown Einstein, Humber and Solstice all getting close to end of tillering if not already there!. Grafton behaving itself very well even though it does look rather thick (so much for shy tillering and increasing the sowing rate by 10-15kg/ha). Fields have dried up dramatically over the first 3 days of this week. in the main, fields are quite dry and applications of P and K and N+S products over the last 7-10 days carried out without making a mess. As ever the headlands are the issue in some cases with water lying in corners.
Septoria: visible on older leaves no action needed yet.
Mildew: high levels on early sown Humber and Solstice and even on Grafton in sheltered fields.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: No Atlantis applied as yet and still waiting for it to warm up enough.

North East. Crops maintaining tiller numbers with most forward at GS 25-26, and later sown GS 22-24. In February local rainfall varied from 47 – 86 mm, and there has been none in last 10 days. The result is in some areas fields are travelling very well, but where the heavier rain fell there are some very wet areas and still some standing water. A few crops are showing severe enough Manganese deficiency symptoms for them to be treated now.
Wheat Bulb Fly: none seen in local crops after vining peas, but a few deadhearts seen where following extended over-wintered stubble.
Septoria: high levels of lesions on older leaves of all susceptible varieties, and particularly Viscount.
Mildew: none seen.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Weed control: Atlantis is being applied under good spraying conditions  this week. Despite frosty conditions overnight, daytime temperatures are achieving double digits and so it is best to continue before the blackgrass gets too big for any chance of acceptable control.

Winter Oilseed Rape

South East. Range from rosette to very early stem extension (ES Alienor) and signs of active new growth as days pull out along with some milder days. Pigeons proving a real nuisance on some backward canopies – these need maximum deterrence for next 2 weeks now. All pigeon grazed crops and those with a GAI of 1 or less have had N+S applied 10-14 days ago, and those with larger and more vigorous canopies being applied now.
Phoma: around 50% of crops been over sprayed in last 4 weeks or so where there was renewed leaf spotting on upper leaves.
Light-leaf spot: low levels being picked up now in any crops not sprayed twice for Phoma.
Weed control: control in fields treated with Kerb  in mid-December looks excellent, and Kerb or Crawler applied in January/February showing signs of control now.

South West. Rape plants developing fresh green leaf in the rosette.  No stem extension seen as yet. 
Phoma: occasional crops showing infection on younger leaves, often where an early autumn spay with no follow up was applied. 
Weed control : Charlock has been hit by the frost. 

Eastern Counties. Crops beginning to green up and show new growth especially on the lighter soil types. Planning growth regulators depending on canopy size and will review at end of March.
Phoma: no new phoma spotting or LLS.
Weed control : Fox now applied in ideal conditions - expect good results.

East Midlands. Crops now starting to move and new leaf appearing, Flower buds still remain in base of crop with very few starting any stem extension. GAI generally in region of 0.75 to 1. All crops have had either second part of first split or all first N+S in past few days. A few forward crops being delayed receiving N.
Phoma: very little fresh phoma spotting seen.
Light-leaf spot: none seen yet to worry about but will be looking closely in next week in view of ADAS predictions of risk increasing in Midlands.
Weed control: cleaver control products now being applied.

West Midlands. Majority of crops showing signs of spring growth with early sown crops growing well and most forward at early green bud stage. Majority of backward crops have now had N+S with second split to apply in 10-14 days time. Early forward crops will start next week. Those that applied N 3-4 weeks ago on backward crops has had a very good impact on promoting spring growth.
Pigeons: still devastating some crops particularly on isolated fields.
Weed control: Poppy on light land + shepherds purse + mayweed will get herbicide when it warms up. Galera, not gone on yet due to weather conditions still not to late. Fox, as per Galera.

North East. Crops generally fall into the  range of 7 – 9 leaves, and there is some stem extension in a few crops. N:S fertilisers applied this week. Some being ‘topped-up’ with straight N to about 100 kg N.
GAI assessments done over last 10 days shows most crops in the range of 0.8 – 1.6, bit there are some in the 2.0 -3.0 range where significant adjustments to total N will be made.
Light-leaf Spot : no crops seen with very high levels, but it is easy to find and could  develop very quickly as temperatures rise.
Weed control: frost has totally wiped all infestations of Charlock and Runch.

Winter Barley.

Eastern counties. Crops range from yet to emerge through to early tillering. Mildew obvious in some crops and Net-blotch developing in early drilled crops.

West Midlands. Crops now starting to turn insipid yellow colour, quite a lot of the acreage has had N+S applied over the last 10 days so hopefully will start to take hold and be taken up soon . Mildew present in Cassata and traces of Rhynchosporium present in some crops.

East Midlands. No real movement with crops at GS 23-25. No diseases present yet.

South West. All well tillered however yellowing on wet areas prevalent.

South East. Growth stages range from GS 24-29. Crops have only put on slow growth in last few weeks following colder weather of last ten days. Mildew very evident in thicker crops of Cassata.

North East: Crops range from GS 22-26, and despite the recent rain and cold they are holding their colour well. Mildew at trace levels and low levels of Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium in early sown susceptible varieties.