South East. After very cold first half of May, this week's warmer weather has stimulated crop growth, with crops now ranging from GS 32 to GS 39. However, with only around 5-10mm of rain in last 3 weeks, soils are now very dry on the surface, leading to continued slow N uptake. T2 fungicides being applied from now onwards at around GS 39 and around 21-28 days after previous fungicides. Crops remain very short, with not many at knee height even though flag-leaf emerging/emerged – straw will be a valuable commodity!
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: no symptoms been found anywhere in last month.
Mildew: still no active pustules found – continuation of dry cool days together with a lack of lush soft growth to date mean that mildew risk is currently extremely low.
Septoria: confined to lower leaves only – top 3-4 leaves currently very clean. Combination of dry and cool conditions are likely to result in very low Septoria pressure in most crops here in the South.
Eyespot : no change in disease level with only low levels of non-penetrating stem lesions visible in September and early October sown crops of Xi19, Cordiale and Solstice.
Weed control : Blackgrass - spring applied Atlantis weed control effects can now be assessed – some very good (95-98%) control evident where populations have proven easy to control in the past, and not so good where is a degree of resistance in population (ranging from as poor as 40-50% up to 80%). Polygonums – large flush of polygonous species appearing now in any more open crops, if applying an SU at T2 check for any restrictions on sequences.

South West. Flag leaf emergence still very slow, currently only early sown Grafton, Cordiale and Gallant at GS 39.  These crops are being sprayed now. However, the bulk of the wheat will be done next week, 7 to 10 days later than normal years.  No change in disease situation on last week with leaves 1 to 5 virtually disease free.  Crops are short except on high N min soils. Moisture disappearing rapidly with thin light soils drying very quickly and crops starting to look very thin as the dry conditions are causing tiller loss.
Yellow rust: T1 treatments holding the infection.
Mildew: no significant levels of mildew detectable.
Septoria: still confined to lower leaves.
Eyespot: lesions in early drillings are rarely penetrating beyond the leaf sheath.
Weed control : Blackgrass is booting in missed areas.

Eastern Counties. Majority of crops now with flag leaf emerging. Crops are now suffering significant drought stress, even on heavy land. Protein nitrogen applications on milling wheat outstanding.
Brown rust: disease levels generally very low.
Yellow rust: no active disease seen.
Mildew: disease present on late drilled crops and on susceptible varieties, Solstice, Conqueror and Claire, but not active.
Septoria: apparent in most crops, in particular on early drilled and forward crops.
Weed control : wild oats now at GS 1.2 - 2.4 where not controlled in the autumn.  Some spring wild oats germinating.

East Midlands. Continued dry conditions means crops remain short with flag leaf 50% plus out on many crops and just emerging on later crops. Crops after maize have leaf 2 just emerging. Conditions very dry on top with little or no moisture in top inch and soils just moist to 4”. A hot dry June would see yields potentially fall if no significant rain before then.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Mildew: mildew levels remain very low and restricted to a bit on the very lower base of plants.
Septoria: levels remain low and even the odd late T1 crops are clean. T2 fungicides to go on imminently in forward crops and next week in slightly later crops.
Eyespot: can be found at low levels but dry weather is drying it out, especially as crops short and open and not “sweating” at the base.
Weed control : continue to find some blackgrass regrowth – doesn’t appear to matter when applied (I.e. all in good growth conditions). Could it be due to blackgrass being hardened off more than usual due to cold winter? Wild oat regrowth where Broadway Star used – brome and ryegrass controlled well in same field.

West Midlands. Majority of wheat crops now have the flag leaf just showing to fully out ( this is occurring in the same field in many crops!). Will aim to complete T2 by beginning of next week as warmer weather is now pushing the crops on.
Yellow rust: found dead pustules on some Oakley.
Mildew: traces on Humber and JB Diego.
Septoria: top four leaves remain clean.
Eyespot: levels much reduced.
Weed control: late germinating wild oats in some crops - will apply Axial at T2. If overspraying at T2, watch out for SU sequences.

North east: growth stages range from tip of flag leaf just visible, to flag leaf 50% emerged. Only 1 mm rainfall locally in last 7 days, but plenty of moisture in the soil so crops are looking fine. Temperatures higher now and crops are taking up nitrogen well and growing quickly. Most crops are fairly short. The early CCC+ Moddus has worked well but a low rate of Terpal will be included at T2 on most first wheats ( except Viscount and Grafton).
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow rust: no infection seen.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: final leaves 2 and 3  are clean, but there is infection on older leaves which could be easily splashed up onto them. T2 planned soon as flag leaf fully emerged. This will be either 0.25L Opus + 1.25 L Envoy, or 1.35 L Firefly.
Eyespot: still only being found at low levels, and no serious infections seen.
Weed control : patches of wild oats coming through in some fields.

Winter Barley.

Note on Malting Quality this year.
Malcolm Harrison reports on a study in the late 70's looking at malting barley quality in detail over 3 years, working with Munton and Fison Maltsters at Bridlington, but also looking at their historical data over 20 years and there was a clear, significant inverse correlation between May rainfall (including late April rainfall for winter barley) and grain nitrogen/protein. This will be reduced if we get substantial rainfall now, but only by a bit.

North East. Awns mostly emerged in forward crops of Carat. Most 6-rows a bit later. T2 application planned for next 7 days or as soon as awns mostly emerged.

Eastern counties. crops range from GS 39 to awn emergence. Second fungicide applications now underway on many crops.

West Midlands. Ear emergence in most crops and some starting to flower. Majority of crops (if not all) have had T2 application.

East Midlands. Awns emerging but crops short and some thin crops – in one case a lot of late tillers where urea used for first dressing but dry afterwards so may be crops has taken up N late. Some crops only had 20-30mm rain in last 6 weeks.

South West. Winter Barley flowering and all operations complete on this crop. Canopies have remained clean although yield prospects not great after the dry spring.

South East. Growth stages now mostly range from GS 39-52, with ears beginning to emerge now on crops of Boost.  T2 fungicides scheduled in next week.

Spring Beans: at 2-6 pair leaves and bean weevil damage extensive in some crops and may require further control.

Sugar beet
Earliest beet has 10 leaves and is 15 to 20 cm across maximum. Plants seem to be producing very small leaves under current dry conditions. Latest beet has only recently emerged and is at expanded cotyledon stage. We are still waiting for some late drilled fields with poor seedbeds to completely emerge – it is now getting very late and with no more rain in the near future some of these fields will struggle. I am keeping the weeds out by FAR spraying and hope we might have some beet. Establishment is very variable across many of these later fields.

Weed control is nearing completion on early drilled fields but we still have along way to go before beet covers the ground. We will need to keep watching for any late emerging competitive weeds e.g. volunteer oilseed rape. Volunteer potatoes are slow to appear and were set back by the frosts in the Fens. We are now applying some Shield planned in 3 or 4 small doses.

Starting to hoe to control weed beet and we aim to hoe these fields twice. For effective control weedbeet need to be relatively small- so the message is to start as soon as possible.