15 April 2016. The continuing cool, wet conditions are beginning to take their toll. Crops which should have shot through their growth stages have stalled and are now becoming magnets for pests and disease. Winter oilseed rape crops are taking weeks to flower and those stuck at the yellow bud stage are now falling prey to pollen beetles. Similarly yellow rust is taking full advantage of these conditions to blossom and bloom across a whole host of wheat varieties from North to South. This is turning into the year for yellow rust as forecasts indicate a continuation of cool and wet conditions which will favour its development.

Winter Wheat

• yellow rust becoming more prominent.
• poor weather delays T0 application
• BYDV starting to show
• Final leaf 3 in forward wheat.
• T1 applications start next week
• Blackgrass getting away.

Winter Oilseed Rape

• First flowers in all regions
• pollen beetle numbers building in backward crops.
• Light leaf spot

Winter Barley

• Diseases levels remain low.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops range from GS29 to early GS31 – a number of crops now have leaf 3 just emerging, with September sown Trinity and Reflection having leaf 3 50%+emerged, whereas  Skyfall and Crusoe remain at leaf 4 about 50-75% emerged. Later sown crops look likely to drop a leaf layer as leaf 3 is already starting to emerge on main shoots. Warmer weather this  week has accelerated growth a little, but looks as though colder conditions are set to return once again. T0 Fungicides targeting Leaf 4 50%+ emerged are now mostly applied and some T1s will be applied to more advanced crops later next week, only 14 days after T0 – a reminder that there will only be 2-3 week spray intervals between T0/T1 and T2 this year. Most fields are traveling OK as we have fortunately missed most showers this week.
Brown Rust: still very evident on older leaves of September sown Crusoe and Claire in particular, though recent colder conditions have slowed any progression to new leaf. Triazole or Strob with T0 applications in first 10 days of April.
Yellow Rust: some localised foci can be found again, even in Cordiale (a first in nearly 10 years of being grown) – current cool and damp conditions are ideal for disease development. T0 Tebuconazole or Strob.
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: stem based browning can be readily found in  earliest sown wheats, along with second wheat and wheat after oats.
Aphids: BYDV symptoms beginning to show up now as crops respond to N in some late September/early October sown wheats not over sprayed with Cypermethrin until February.
Weed control: blackgrass generally only low levels present in most fields following autumn residuals, but  some fields have needed an Atlantis over spray – control to date is looking reasonable, with 75-90% of plants now showing shoot yellowing.

Eastern Counties. Most have leaf 4 emerged with final leaf three just coming through. Only the very earliest have leaf three close to being fully emerged. Not much change. Fields are slowly draining, warming and N is being taken up.
Brown Rust: trace levels only. T0 imminent.
Yellow Rust: still active on Claire, and also where untreated on Reflection.
Mildew: traces on all varieties.
Septoria: low levels on all varieties but not developing that quickly. Warmer wetter weather has increased the threat.
Slugs: activity slowed.
Weed control: Very little over wintered weeds where robust pre-ems used. Little sign yet of spring germinators except some charlock.

East Midlands. Many crops at late GS 30 early GS 31. A very stop start week with frequent showers and few completely dry days. Wet patches in lower lying part of fields remain, however most crops look well and next N will be going on in about a week or so. Manganese deficiency showing in a few crops.
Brown rust: none seen.
Yellow Rust: still very apparent and seen on variety Leeds yesterday but tending to be on older leaves rather than new growth easily also found on Reflection, KWS Lili, Cordiale, Kielder which need T0 azole mix to damped it down.
Mildew: remains low even in such varieties as Leeds
Septoria: Plenty on lower older leaves but new growth so far clean but time is now pressing and a lot of crops yet to get the T0 due to the weather.
Eyespot: generally low but some stem based browning seen.
Aphids: none seen.
Weed control: time now will tell on blackgrass control. Atlantis /Pacifica activity now showing and looking better control than I expected with the late spraying. Some plants disfigured rather than dying so may find stunted plants in crops but hopefully reduced seed heads.

West Midlands. Crops now range from GS30 to GS32 with final leaf 2 just starting to emerge. Plenty of crops of Grafton, Reflection and KWS Lili that will be getting T1 applications as of Monday 18th. An inch of rain on Monday (most had at least 15mm) which along with the 10-15mm over the weekend has made things very challenging.
Brown Rust: still there at much reduced levels.
Yellow Rust: it still very evident on Reflection. Also found on Grafton, Gallant, and JB Diego.
Mildew: now virtually non existent.
Septoria: waiting for this to explode after recent heavy rains..
Aphids: BYDV patches starting to appear.
Gout Fly: some very severe attacks in west of the region on crops that failed to get an insecticide in the autumn.
Weed control: very few spring germinating weed so far.

North East. Crops range from GS 21 to GS 31. It has been a wet week and spray opportunities have been few and far between.
Yellow Rust : susceptible varieties showing new signs again.
Brown Rust: none seen.
Mildew: low levels in variety Leeds.
Septoria: slight increase with wet weather. Very robust T1 planned
Weed control: blackgrass remaining populations well established, early drillings worst, up to 10 tillers. Atlantis when the crops turn green again, this is having a bad crop effect this time with  the cold nights. Spring germinating polygonum starting, charlock emerging.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

Pollen Beetle. Migration into crops starts when temperatures reach 12 - 15 0C.

South. With a continuation of  generally cool days and occasional frosty nights, growth remains  relatively slow and pigeons are still a real nuisance on around 10% of fields. Crops range from green bud (Amalie) to 1st flowers visible (Campus and Ovation).
Light Leaf Spot: field symptoms widespread in many crops, however lesions appear to have been effectively dried up by recent fungicide applications - 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: beginning to be found now quite readily in open flowers and some on green buds, but not at threshold levels yet. With weather looking to remain cool, backward and pigeon grazed crops could remain vulnerable to attack for another 2 weeks.
Weed control: residual herbicide applications made prior to January look to be providing high levels of control of blackgrass – later applications are only just showing signs of activity.

Eastern Counties. Many varied growth stages in fields. Some are now at approx 80% flowers, some are still only just showing signs of extension. Mainly linked to wet, pest damage and weed burden.
Flea beetle: some crops that were attacked in the autumn have larvae in the leaf stems. Most crops are big enough to compensate.
Light Leaf Spot: Variable levels across different fields and varieties. Not bad but usually able to find a background level.
Phoma: some new symptoms starting to show.
Aphids: none seen.
Pigeons: really hitting crops hard still. Some severe grazing.
Weed control: variable control from residual herbicides as conditions generally too warm and weeds too well established at application time.

East Midlands. Most crops now starting to flower with later crops at yellow bud where pigeon damage has slowed them down. Final N being held back to manipulate canopy but will be going on soon before crops get too advanced to allow a good spread of fertiliser.
Light Leaf Spot: finally all sprays on, especially the at risk crops.
Pollen beetle: numbers generally low but with the odd field showing higher numbers but in flowering crops so no concern apart from the much later pigeon damaged crops.
Aphids: none seen.
Weed control: Charlock now showing the effects of the frost with some good kill even where Fox didn't get applied due to weather.

West Midlands. Most crops are flowering, anything from 5% up to 30 % flowers. Not worrying about sclerotinia at the moment as cold nights still and conditions not good for ascopsore development.
Light Leaf Spot: most crops now treated. Crops in the west of the region are now receiving a second fungicide for LLS control.
Pollen Beetle: none seen.
Flea beetle : none seen.
Weed control: charlock/runch has taken a bit of a hit with the recent frosts.

North East. Green bud, many crops yellow bud, to early flowering. Some crops are looking short where soils have been wet.
Flea beetle: many plants with bad larvae damage in the south of the region, wilting and not growing.  Larvae mainly in petioles not the stems, but large numbers in plants
Pollen beetle : low levels.
Light Leaf Spot: noticeable on all varieties.
Phoma: trace levels.
Pigeons: have been more problematic than last year, stripping leaf from many crops.

Winter Barley.

South. Crops still mostly in range GSS30-31 – looks as though many crops will be ready for T1 fungicides next week. N+S applications completed and additional 50 kg/ha N been – final N applications due in next 2 weeks. Brown rust bubbling up on Volume and Cassia. Other diseases are present but so far only at low levels.
Eastern. GS 31 common in good crops on good soil. Crop starting to green up. None are tall! Not much change in a week. Very low disease levels.
West Midlands. Winter barley crops are taking a bit of a back seat at the moment in terms of T1 fungicides whilst we catch up with wheat. However, about 60% of crops have has a T1 and 30 % had a T0 with 10 % with nothing at all as yet. BYDV patches are starting to stand out more and more.
East Midlands. Many crops at GS 30/31 and look well. Disease levels remain low so far with clean new growth.
North East. Crops mainly at GS 30. No T0’s applied due to weather and other commitments Disease levels remain low with the exception of Mildew on Saffron.

Spring Barley

South. First drillings now emerging.
Eastern. First drillings now emerging. Most now drilled. Recent heavy rain is keeping fields moist inside. Compacted headlands have some puddling.
West Midlands. First drillings now emerging.
East Midlands.All drilled and some just starting to show.
North East. Soils very wet, 45% drilled, into poor seedbeds. First sown crops now fully emerged. Ivy leaved speedwell very forward this year, spring germinating wild oats now at 2 leaf stage.