30 May 2016. A week of rapid crop development sees early wheat crops in the south and east starting to flower. However, most crops are at full flag leaf and ear emergence is expected in early June. This is pretty much the same as last year. Fusarium risk is dependent on rain fall during flowering and with heavy thundery rain forecast for Tuesday 31 May in eastern regions early flowering crops could be at risk. Wheat blossom midge pheromone traps need to go out.

Earliest ear emergence (GS50) dates from previous crop reports, these are all from southern crops.

2016 - 25 May
2015 - 20 May
2014 - 16 May
2013 - 17 Jun
2012 - 25 May
2011 - 20 May
2010 - 28 May
2009 - 20 May
2008 - 21 May

Winter Wheat

• T3 fusarium risk dependent on weather.
• Yellow rust still active.
• Septoria main threat.
• Pheromone traps for blossom midge.
• Flowering in forward crops.
• Blackgrass poor control and spreading.

Winter Oilseed Rape

• Mid - late flowering.
• Seed Weevil threat to late flowering crops.

Winter Barley

• Ear emergence.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now mostly in range GS37–52 with many wheats sown in September/early October at ears emerging. It's incredible how crop growth has accelerated in the last 3 weeks (from leaf 3 to ears emerging in 3-4 weeks). T2s have all been completed in last 10-14 days and in many cases it has only been a 14-21 day interval between T1 to T2. Last rain was 10 mm over last weekend. Milling wheats have had an extra 40 Kg N/ha applied at Flag leaf emerged.
Brown Rust: being well controlled to date by fungicides.
Yellow Rust: no new infections noted.
Mildew: trace levels only..
Septoria: generally only visible on tip of leaf 4 and below, but some showing up on tip leaf 3 of September sown Trinity and Cordiale. In general however Skyfall, Crusoe and Reflection remain largely free of Septoria symptoms on the upper canopy.
Aphids: BYDV symptoms surprisingly high levels also evident in some fields in sheltered coastal locations.
Slugs: no new damage.
Weed control: blackgrass control shows quite a bit of field to field variation and overall control looks to be below expectation.

Eastern Counties. Early drilled crops are now at ear emerging or emerged and the most forward crops are starting to flower (eg Gallant). Later drilled wheats just getting to GS39.
Brown Rust: trace levels only on Crusoe.
Yellow Rust: trace levels on Solstice..
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: obvious on old leaves in all situations. T2 applied as Adexar and Bravo.
Eyespot: some lesions now showing in second or subsequent wheats. Not generally penetrating too far into the stem.
Aphids: patches of BYDV now showing.
Weed control: blackgrass control main hotspots have had reasonable control from pre-ems but large overwintered weeds remain where Atlantis not used in the autumn. Autumn Atlantis variable in effect.

East Midlands. Nearly all crops have thee flag leaf emerged apart from very late planted after maize. All late N now on apart from liquid N on the ear of quality wheats. Soil conditions are good and generally dry weather this week has allowed spraying.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow Rust: earlier T1 treatments have kept in in check.
Mildew: Remains very low..
Septoria: The odd crop of very late sprayed T1 due to weather/breakdowns has led to some septoria on final leaf 2 but thankfully this is only a handful of fields. T2 now going on generally and mainly SDHI based but there is a demand from some farmers to keep the costs down on later crops after maize.
Eyespot: generally at low levels and not penetrating outer leaf sheaths.
Aphids: none seen.
Weed control: Brome control - brome has not died back as well as expected.

West Midlands.  Early sown crops of Grafton, Skyfall, Leeds and Crusoe all have the ears pushing out. All T2 will be done by the end of May. BYDV areas are becoming more visible and what is showing now appears to be late infection (this all Deter dressed wheat). Location is having an influence and there seems to be some varietal differences as well, e.g. in a 300 acre block of KWS Lili with one section split with Grafton (all sown at the same time) and the Grafton definitely has more BYDV than the KWS Lili.
Yellow Rust: Reflection - any missed areas are completely dead.
Mildew: now virtually non existent.
Septoria: control is good with majority of crops with Leaf 4 clean (some on tip of leaf 4) and some with leaf 5 clean. Crusoe and Skyfall noticeably cleaner than many other varieties.
Aphids: BYDV just getting worse as we go on. Plenty of crops where no distinct patches but areas of purple leaf tips and suspect growth habits.
Slugs: plenty of activity after recent rains.
Weed control: blackgrass more tell-tale signs of its spread within Shropshire as we find plants in head where not expected and where we have dead blackgrass next to heading blackgrass. Resistant Italian Ryegrass becoming more common.

North East. Crops range from flag leaf now fully out to booting. A good week for crop growth with sunshine and average temperature 12 degrees. 10mm rain
Yellow Rust : under control from robust fungicide.
Brown Rust: none seen.
Mildew: low levels in variety Leeds.
Septoria: T1 complete, Septoria levels high if T0 was not applied, very high levels on old leaves.
Weed control: blackgrass is now flowering.

Winter Oilseed Rape

South. Only the most backward/pigeon grazed crops are still flowering, with most other fields now between late flower to pods filling  - looks like being a potentially lateharvest this year. The next pass for this crop now will be pre-harvest desiccation.
Light Leaf Spot: effectively dried up by recent fungicide applications.
Sclerotinia: Proline + Tebuconazole + Thiophonate methyl been applied at early flowering to provide comprehensive Sclerotinia & light leaf spot protection. .
Club root: severe symptoms found in only two fields so far.
Seed Weevil: plenty of adults can be found in later flowering backward crops with most at thresholds for spraying (1 weevil/plant).

Eastern Counties. Most fields now in late flowers with 70% pods. Charger has pretty much lost all flowers. Later branches now flowering as are backward areas of crop.
Light Leaf Spot: under control.
Sclerotinia: some growers have applied a second spray where flowering is protracted.
Aphids: none seen.
Seed Weevil: non seen yet.

East Midlands. Many crops approaching late flowering with a few late crops still flowering well.
Light Leaf Spot: no new infections.
Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays all on and very few will have a second follow up, just a few early sprayed crops.
Seed Weevil: levels remain low with no reports on any where sprayers have been through crops for late sclerotinia.

West Midlands. Crops range from late to end of flowering. Ther is still the occasional crops at mid flowering.
Light Leaf Spot: crops now treated.
Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays all on.
Seed Weevil: none seen.

North East. Crops mostly at late Flowering.
Light Leaf Spot: noticeable on all varieties.
Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays all on.
Seed Weevil : none seen.
Weed control : cleaver control has not worked well due to cold conditions at time of application.

Winter Barley.

South. Most crops have now raced along to awns/ears emerging and T2 fungicide applications mostly completed – Next pass should be the combine.
Eastern. Crops are now flowering. Warmer weather helped move barleys on last week. Crops looking more even now.
West Midlands. Most crops now with ears emerging. Clean from top to bottom, pity about the BYDV.
East Midlands. Awns now out and T2 sprays on so should hopefully now be able to shut the gate.
North East. Awn to full ear emergence. Rhynchosporium developing in the bottom of the canopy.

Spring Barley

South. Crops range from GS22 to GS39 – March drilled crops will need Terpal applying in next 5-7 days if required. Rhychosporium - low-moderate levels of infection seen recently in thicker March sown crops.
Eastern. GS 37 typically. Growing fast. Some with awns just emerging.
West Midlands. Crops anywhere from 3 leaves to 5+ tillers /GS 30. T1 applications started this Monday on the most forward crops. Aphids are quite easy to find.
East Midlands. Crops at GS 24-30 and look well but a few have struggled where soils capped after drilling. Disease levels remain very low.
North East.  Crops range from GS12 - GS 30. Some drier spots causing delay in emergence.