06 November 2015. Autumn seems reluctant to herald any colder weather allowing crop growth to continue. The mild weather is favouring mildew development in some crops of wheat and barley and crops will need to be closely monitored.

Phoma still main disease in oilseed rape.
Aphids in cereals at low levels.
Slugs damage decreasing.
Mildew becoming more evident in some crops of wheat and barley.

Winter Wheat

South. Wheat drilling all but finished now with just an odd field after late harvested maize left. Earliest sown wheats now at 4 leaves to 2 tillers, with bulk of fields now at 1 ½ to 3 leaves. Run of very mild days and nights has finally spurred some more rapid crop growth in the last week or so. Soils are wet again following around 20mm of rain in last 5 days and some lower lying fields are now getting close to saturated again.
Mildew: low to moderate levels showing now in Solstice and Skyfall particularly on lighter soils.
Aphids: none seen.
Slugs: with the exception of second wheat fields on heavier soils there is very little slug activity of note.
Weed control: blackgrass beginning to show now in earlier sown fields that have had pre-em applications, though most are showing signs of herbicide uptake..

Eastern Counties. Earliest drilled wheat now at GS 25 with the majority GS 13/21. Some that were in dry cobbles just emerging now. Field conditions still good, not too wet but adequate moisture. Crops growing quickly.
Slugs: some activity mainly after rape still continues in problem patches.
Weed control: blackgrass continues to emerge quickly. First Atlantis recommendations imminent on bad fields.

East Midlands. Many crops at 3 leaves with later crops at 1 leaf stage. Soils wet and sticky but little or no standing water – fieldwork still possible when rain allows.
Slugs: still activity where later drilled fields after rape and crops at 2 leaves.
Weed control: where spraying delayed meadow grass now emerging and looking to use 0.8 lt/ha Othello.

West Midlands. Crops range from emerging through to early tillering. Despite another 10mm or so of rain over the last week, ground conditions are still reasonable, any drilling being done now is plough drill. Majority of spray jobs have been completed (may be some follow up blackgrass control to be done dependent upon emergence/control from pre ems).
Mildew: developing on early sown Grafton and Santiago.
Slugs: some reports of renewed activity since the end of last week. But mainly no issues at all.
Weed control: Bromes starting to appear

North East. About 95% drilled up now with 10% of the crops at GS 22, 30% at 2-3 leaf, 40%  emergence and 10% yet to emerge. Good seed beds generally have resulted in a good start for the season. Uniform emergence observed.
Opomyza: a few fields badly hit.
Slugs: very variable activity and mainly on the late sown crops.
Weed control: blackgrass control is variable with early applications of products look to be giving between 30 and 60% control. Late applied look like it may give 75% control.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. September sown crops are now generally around 4-6 leaves, with August sown crops around 7-8 leaves. A run of milder days and nights has encouraged some more foliar growth and weather looks to be remaining unusually mild for the next 10-14 days.
Flea beetle: no new damage.
Phoma: all crops now sprayed, though was a rapid increase in leaf spotting last week in any unsprayed crops, with levels ranging from 5% up to 30-40%.  
Aphids: aphid nymphs on underside of leaves of crops in more coastal areas.
Slugs: most crops finally appear to be getting away from slugs now.
Weed control: significant flush in many fields with history of blackgrass. Most fields will have Kerb or Astrokerb applied in November once soil temps. are

Eastern Counties. Crops range from 4 – 12 true leaves. Crops continue to put on growth as soils are still warm.
Flea beetle: still feeding on smaller plants.
Light Leaf Spot: none seen.
Phoma: easy to find and increasing slowly. All varieties affected.
Aphids: very hard to find.
Slugs: low levels only.
Weed control: Charlock prone fields now being assessed for numbers present. Astrokerb being considered but still too warm.

East Midlands. Many forward crops at 7+ leaves with later crops at 4 leaves.
Flea beetle: not really a problem re establishment now.
Aphids: none seen.
Phoma: starting to appear but many crops below threshold. Sprays to go on when weather allows with light leaf spot control as well.
Slugs: generally crops now too big for slugs to have any effect.
Weed control: good control of blackgrass from Centurion Max, applications of Kerb going onto relatively clear fields.

West Midlands. Crops range from 4 true leaf to completely covering the ground and continue to grow in mild conditions.
Aphids: very low levels - no action to take.
Flea beetle : very low damage.
Slugs: still very few problems and early sown crops are now out of danger.
Phoma: developed in milder conditions and fungicides now on or programmed in.
Weed control: Hedge mustard and charlock need sorting at some point, some fields the charlock and runch is already flowering so a good frost should sort these field out.

North East. All crops range from 5 leaf to 8 leaves. Still have active growth with mild temperatures and wet soils.
Flea beetle: no longer a problem on 95% of crops.
Aphids: a few found..
Slugs: activity decreasing..
Light Leaf Spot: none seen yet.
Phoma: easy to find now in all crops across the region.
Weed control: Centurion max applied and controlling blackgrass, Kerb applications starting next week

Winter Barley.

South. Crops range from 2 leaves to GS21.. No disease present yet.
Eastern. Earliest drilled crops GS 24. Growing well no obvious signs of disease or aphids.
West Midlands. Crops range from 2 leaf to early tillering. Mildew now starting to kick in on most varieties that have 1 or more tillers, light land worst and Glacier standing out as the main variety with the most mildew.
East Midlands. Crops generally at 3 leaves. No mildew seen but continued mild weather is a concern and crops need watching. Aphid levels very low but early drilled crops without Deter seed treatment to get aphicide.
North East. 100% drilled,100% emerged with crops ranging from GS 21 to 2 leaves. No disease present yet.