11 November 2016. A near perfect autumn for most has meant field work is almost complete. The drought conditions in the SE has started to recede although too late for many early sown crops. Forecast for the rest of November is for a brief mild period, before temperatures return closer to average, with colder interludes leading to a risk of snow in the north, mainly over higher ground but occasionally to lower levels.

More records of Club Root in West Midlands
Phoma nowhere at threshold.
Blackgrass emerging.
Flea beetle larvae in some OSR.
Wheat drilling nears completion.
Mildew in wheat and barley at low levels.
Slug activity increased in some regions.

Winter Wheat

South. Winter wheat drilling now completed. Earliest sown (15th – 20th Sept) fields of Lili/Claire are now at GS22+ with the bulk of wheats now between GS13 to GS21. Soils seedbeds now damp following 15 mm this week.
Aphids: none seen.
Slugs: some foliar grazing but surface grazing on emerged crops has to date been limited.
Blackgrass: Atlantis applications will get underway next week on fields where there is obvious surviving blackgrass at 1-3+ leaves.

Eastern Counties. Cobbly areas starting to fill now as rain occurs. In better seedbeds crop is  up to GS13/21
Aphids: an occasional aphid found in earliest emerged..
Slugs: slight damage after rape, mainly in trashy areas. This is increasing as soils moisten.
Gout fly: eggs seen.
Blackgrass: coming thick and fast now in hotspots. Nothing larger than 2 leaves yet. Extra flufenacet going on in bad areas. The worst patches may get Atlantis soon.

East Midlands. The most forward crops now at GS 21 but 70% not yet emerged, emergence is now taking 18+days. Nearly completed drilling with only around 5% of area to go.
Aphids:can be found on early drilled wheat and barley.
Slugs: high levels after oilseed rape.
Blackgrass: emerging at low levels, recent chemical treatments are having an effect on the grass weed and the crop! Massive flush on stale seed beds now being sprayed with glyphosate.

West Midlands. Most forward crops have 2-3 tillers and drilling all but complete. Recent rains have wetted up soils again and cold nights have slowed growth.
Mildew: odd sightings: Seen in Crusoe and Grafton.
Aphids: none seen.
Slugs: became quite active again over last weekend.
Blackgrass: all pre-ems working well at the moment, topping up low level blackgrass fields with Liberator (where could not use "stacked " pre ems due to soil type/shallow drilling ). Give or take probably 80% drilled has been sprayed.

North East. Crops range from drilling to GS21. Wetter week, generally good conditions. Slight frosts helping to harden crops and check pests.
Mildew: low levels: seen in Skyfall and Reflection.
Aphids: none seen..
Gout fly: eggs seen.
Slugs: more slug activity seen this week in a few crops after oilseed rape.
Blackgrass: most farms have been able to get pre ems on in good time.  Good results being observed although some odd fields have been disappointing. Stacking sprays has been easier this year than last.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Crops range from 5-9+ true leaves with 75% of crops are around 6-7+ true leaves.
Phoma:a few leaf spots being found in Campus, Elgar. Flamingo, Picto and Amelie, but otherwise still not evident at all in many crops.
Flea beetle: readily finding 2mm larvae now.
Blackgrass:Plans for Kerb/Astrokerb being put together – soil temperatures are still around 9’C @ 30cms, and there is also a 75mm soil moisture deficit, so soils are still too warm and too dry for now.
Volunteer wheat: many min-tilled crops after wheat will need a second graminicide now as has been another significant flush of volunteers. Falcon (0.4-0.6lt/ha) been applied with 0.4-0.5lt Fusilade Max planned where second graminicide needed.

Eastern Counties. From 4 to 10 true leaves. Mostly farms have lost the crop due to drought. Dry in Essex, moist in Suffolk.
Phoma: still none seen yet.
Aphids: no further aphids found.
Flea beetle: smaller plants still being bothered.
Slugs: very low levels.
Blackgrass: quite thick in hotspots. Kerb timing imminent, waiting for a little more soil moisture.

East Midlands. Forward crops at 6-7 leaves but mainly crops at 3-4 leaves with later ones at 2-3 leaves. Some crops getting forward where slurry etc applied to fields before planting so will need an autumn PGR.
Phoma: visible but still not at threshold levels.
Club root: continues to be found where not seen before but not at high levels and machine cleanliness will be a necessity in these situations to prevent spread.
Flea beetle: active in later crops again still,  seen under clods in ex oilseed rape fields.
Slugs: continue to be a problem on later crops.
Blackgrass: still emerging - Centurion Max at 3 leaf of grass, early applied working well.

West Midlands. Majority of crops are now growing well with ground cover approaching 70% plus for many crops, some crops at 100% ground cover. Last sown crop (mid september has 3-4 true leaves).
Phoma: just starting to come in now still nowhere near 10% threshold. Proline (0.35l/ha) on big crops, Refinzar ( 0.5l/ha ) on crops that are late sown or on light land and not growing vigorously.
Club root: more crops pulled up this week due to this disease.
Flea beetle: very very low.
Slugs: mainly OK, but can see having a good go on lower leaves on biggish crops.
Blackgrass: emerging on the earlier sown crops - Kerb applications planned now sols are cooling.

North East. Crops range from 3 - 9 leaf. Good growing conditions.
Phoma:very low levels for this time of year. Only odd sightings.
Leaf minor: becoming apparent in some crops.
Flea beetle: larvae being found.
Slugs: crops moving ahead of slug risk
Blackgrass: Aa few farms have got their Kerb sprays done now. Black grass control is variable depending on resistance levels.

Winter Barley.

South. Crops now range from GS13- GS22 - some reports of mildew developing now in Glacier where sown in sheltered fertile locations and on sandy soil types.
Eastern. From just chitting to GS12. Very similar to the wheat crops. Still mainly dry on heavier, cobbly  land, lighter land has now got a little moisture. Blackgrass emerging in hotspots where moisture has fallen, traditionally  bad areas now emerging thickly, very worst areas will be destroyed.
West Midlands. The most forward crops have 2 tillers but plenty of crops only just at 3 true leaves and probably 10% still to emerge.
East Midlands. 95% of the crop now drilled. Forward crops at GS 21 and later drilled crops at GS 11.
North East.  Crops range GS 12 - 22. Low levels of mildew found in crops on lighter land.