30 September 2016. End of September apparently but the weather seems not to have noticed. Oilseed rape crops in droughted areas of eastern counties and now being written-off. But in other regions were there is more moisture crop growth is developing quickly.

Headlines

• Very early appearance of Club Root (Plasmodiophora brassicae) in some oilseed rape crops in both West and East Midlands, can only assume that this is in part due to warmer wetter soils than usual at this time of the year.
• Gout fly in Southern crops.
• Blackgrass moving west. 
• First wheats going in. 
• Slugs still active.
• Flea Beetle some crop loss in east midlands. 
• Blackgrass emerging.

Winter Wheat

South. Drilling now well underway, with around 60-75% of crops now in the ground. Earliest sown fields of Lili/Claire are now at 1-2 leaves – managing to hold most farms off drilling worst blackgrass fields until towards mid-October, particularly as weather looks settled for next 10 days here in the South. Soils are generally moist below the surface following 15mm rain in last 10-14 days, however seedbeds are generally excellent, following rolling and are providing an ideal start to pre-em herbicide programmes.
Slugs: trapping on fields after oilseed rape pre-drilling is often indicating high slug populations – populations are, however, much lower on fields that have been disced/cultivated twice pre-drilling. High risk fields after oilseed rape are generally  having a  50-75% rate of metaldehyde 1.5% pellets applied either shortly after drilling or at peri-crop emergence. Rolling of seedbeds is essential on high risk soils to minimise slug grazing issues.
Gout Fly: can readily find eggs on earliest emerged wheats in last few days (warm and calm days have really favoured adult activity recently).
Blackgrass: some useful flushes just appearing now in some stale seedbeds. Roundup applied up to 48 hours pre-drilling/ cultivating. Problem fields having Crystal + DFF or Liberator + Defy at pre-/peri-emergence. Fields with difficult blackgrass are having Avadex applied after rolling.

Eastern Counties. None emerged yet. Only non blackgrass fields with first wheat drilled into the dust so far. East of Ipswich and Chelmsford is very dry. North of Ipswich nicely moist.
Slugs: no damage seen.
Blackgrass: none emerged yet Liberator, Crystal are the main pre-ems going on as well as Avadex where needed.

East Midlands. About 5% drilled so far. Main varieties Skyfall, Trinity, Leeds, Lili, Santiago, Siskin, Gallant (usually after maize) some Graham. Fields drilled so far, mainly Lili and some Skyfall about to go in. Field conditions generally good in west of area but very sticky in east.
Slugs: massive issues after oilseed rape particularly in the east of the region.

West Midlands. Probably up to 70% of the crop in by end of this week and any one that has drilled all their first wheat and winter barley along with winter oats are now on to second wheat as of this week. The most forward crops are now 3-4 leaf, pretty much putting on 1.5 leaves/week and still emerging after 7 days. In the south and west of the region most crops have yet to emerge. Could just do with a week of dry weather, as the min till guys just getting close to being a tad wet to carry on , those that are ploughing are fine.
Slugs: have plenty of wheat after oilseed rape up now and so far very few problems with slugs (even where not rolled , these on lightish land).
Blackgrass: becoming more of a problem in the region and looks as though we are importing ALS resistant blackgrass in straw used for carrots. Advice is to avoid drilling for as long as possible and consider Liberator + Defy + Hurricane as a pre/peri emergence control.

North East. The main varieties for this year will be Crusoe, Reflection, Deigo, Skyfall, Relay, Leeds, Revelation, Costello and Claire. Drillings have started. Good seed beds being achieved with ideal weather conditions
Slugs: very low activity.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Crops range from 2-6 true leaves – 75% of crops are now around 2-4 true leaves. Main varieties being grown are Amalie, Campus, Picto, Elgar, Flamingo, Barbados + some Mendel on club root fields. Most min-tilled crops have had 30 kg/ha N applied to seedbeds.
Flea beetle: shot holing of leaves has fortunately remained minimal in most crops to date, though moderate levels of activity are being found in West Hampshire and Berkshire necessitating re-spraying with a Pyrethroid.
Phoma: none seen yet.
Slugs: most crops now appear to be beyond the point where slug grazing will be too problematic – rapid growth in ongoing mild and relatively dry conditions is helping.
Turnip Sawfly: first larvae seen last week.
Blackgrass: germination is well underway now, though where 750gms Metazachlor has been applied this appears to be providing 30-50% control. Fields with heavy populations are having Centurion Max applied.
Volunteer barley: large flush in min-tilled crops after spring barley in particular. Falcon (0.4-0.6lt/ha) been applied.

Eastern Counties. Crops range from not emerged to just emerging to 8 TL. Meager rain has allowed a little more emergence but not enough. Highly likely most will be a write off except on a few farms.
Flea beetle: small and patchy crops generally all getting hammered. Where enough plants have emerged, Hallmark at 75ml/ha.
Slugs: very low levels.
Blackgrass: none emerged yet.

East Midlands. Growth stages between cotyledon and 5 leaf. Main varieties Windozz, Nikita, Picto, Elgar, Incentive, Vision (still does well ) and some Charger.
Phoma: none seen.
Club root: first signs of club root in some crops.
Flea beetle: levels generally low but damage ranges from mild to crop lost, it is worse the further east you go. However, pressure has dropped off with the recent rains.
Slugs: most fields showing signs of activity with up to 3 applications of pellets applied.
Blackgrass: high levels of blackgrass now showing. Emerging well at 1-2 leaf (where is the dormancy?). Centurion Max being lined up when crops and conditions right.

West Midlands. Last sown crops are pretty slow and still only just cotyledon to 1 true leaf, early sown crops nearly 100% ground cover with 6-8 true leaves.
Phoma: trace levels only.
Club root: one farm has already found club root on mid August sown rape on land that has been in oilseed rape production for the last 30 years.
Flea beetle: Very very low , most damage being seen on the late sown crops.
Aphids: only found cereal aphids so far no peach potato aphids found.
Slugs: majority of crops now out of danger.

North East. Crops range from one to 5 leaf. Good growing conditions.
Flea beetle: less activity this week but occasional hot spots still seen.
Slugs: some problem areas in some fields, control achieved. Many crops moving ahead of slug risk
Blackgrass: large proportion germinated last week. Sprays for blackgrass control underway. 

Winter Barley.

South.  Most Winter barley fields have now been drilled. Main varieties being grown are Volume, KWS Cassia and Glacier.
Eastern. None sown yet.
West Midlands. Crops emerging that were drilled from mid last week, some have got all winter barley in, these guys drilling second wheat as of this week.
East Midlands. About 40% of the crop now in.
North East.  Drilling has started but not many fields drilled to date. Cassia, Bamboo, Glacier,Volume are the main varieties.