20 May 2013. Oilseed rape crops continue to cause concern especially as crops show a wide range of growth stages within the same field and even some ranging from green bud to pod set on the same plant. Winter wheat crops have picked up after recent rains and the most forward crops have the flag leaf emerging. Warnings of late flush of weeds in some wheat crops. Disease levels remain low with Septoria still the only disease present. Winter barley is moving towards awn emergence.

• Seed Weevil moving into crops.
• Risk of Sclerotinia.
• Keep monitoring backward crops of oilseed rape for pollen beetle.
• Flag leaf emergence in forward early sown wheat crops.
• Awns emerging in forward winter barley.
• Late flush of weeds in winter cereals.
• Sugar beet hit by "Fen Blow"

Winter Wheat

South. A return to cool nights and around 30mm of rain over the last week have enabled nitrogen uptake, but has again slowed down leaf emergence, with crops still being around 2 weeks behind normal. September and early October sown wheats  now have final leaf 3 typically fully emerged and leaf 2 1/3-2/3 emerged on main shoots of Cordiale, Solstice and Diego, with tip of flag-leaf  also just showing in some crops now. Otherwise most later autumn sown crops are  now  around GS31-32 with the tip of leaf 2 starting to emerge. Crops sown in January/February are now moving towards GS30-31 with leaf 3 just emerging on main shoots.
T1 spraying underway or completed now on all crops that have leaf 3 2/3+ emerged. With flag leaves just tipping on more advanced crops, thoughts now turning to T2 strategies – these will be based primarily around Adexar or Aviator.
Mildew: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen
Brown rust: none seen
Septoria tritici: levels remain low in most crops with only the lowest leaves in the canopy affected.
Eyespot: none seen.
Weed control: problem fields have had Atlantis + DFF+/- HBN applied – as expected mixed results now evident, with some fields showing nearly 100% control, with others down at a mix of 30% dead, 50% stunted and 20% healthy.

Eastern Counties. Majority of wheat is at second node stage with final leaf 3 fully out and it looks as if it wont be long until the flag leaf is out. T2 will be just around the corner probably in the next 10 days. Fields are dry, showery weather is providing some moisture but not enough.
Mildew: trace levels.
Septoria tritici: trace levels on lower leaves.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Brown rust: none seen.
Eyespot: can find some eyespot.
Weed control: blackgrass control has been completed and results vary with difficult blackgrass in some cases surviving even a mix of Atlantis + Topik.

East Midlands. Many crops now at GS 32 with final leaf 2 tip showing in more forward crops. Better crops now look well although a bit short. Later drilled crops at leaf 3 emerging but very short. Wet and windy over last week or so with about 25 mm rain in last 24 hours wetting up the very dry soils. Wet conditions with wind has been holding up the T1 sprays and some dry periods are needed to catch up. T1 to go on as soon as conditions allow.
Mildew: none seen
Septoria: new growth clean with some septoria on older leaves.
Yellow rust: none seen, but concern over unprotected late crops and spray holdups.
Brown rust: none seen.
Eyespot: very low levels.
Weed control: blackgrass control has been in region of 80% plus with some good control depending on size of blackgrass when sprayed – inevitable that control has been compromised this year but blackgrass even if not dead has been slowed down and is producing ears with little stem growth. Weed of the year is fat hen which is everywhere so plenty of CMPP going on in mixes with SU.

West Midlands. Earliest crops now have flag leaf just emerging and T2 timed for later this week. Crops have picked up well after recent rain and even light land crops are looking more promising. Leaf emergence has been more rapid in stressed crops, either from herbicide or dry conditions. Late February sown crops now at end of tillering.
Opomyza: tiller death from yellow cereal fly larvae are more obvious this year than for some time.
Mildew: absent even in late sown crops.
Septoria tritici: very evident on the forward crops, whatever variety, none on new leaves.
Yellow Rust: no fresh sightings.
Brown rust: none seen.
Fusarium/Eyespot: only at low levels.
Weed control: herbicides applied three to four weeks ago now showing good control of broad leaved and grass weeds. Late sown crops now have a flush of weeds emerging.

North East.  Most Winter wheat now ranges from  GS 30 - 32. It has been a slightly cooler week but crops are growing well.
Mildew: none seen
Septoria tritici: active on lower leaves of some varieties but not moving up the crop.
Yellow rust: none seen.
Brown rust: none seen.
Wheat bulb fly: low levels in some crops.
Weed control: warmer weather bringing out early spring weeds.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. At last there are some yellow fields about, however around 50% of crops that were heavily grazed and backward are still between Green bud and early flower within the same field.
Sclerotinia: conditions could be ideal for apothecia emergence and spore release if the weather becomes warmer over the next few weeks. Later flowering crops could be at particularly high early petal fall risk.
Pollen beetle: still only finding low levels of adults – up to 2-5 beetles per plant now in places, mainly on more backward crops
Seed Weevil: adults can be readily found on any warmer afternoons in areas of flowering rape.

Eastern Counties. Some fields (the best) are uniformly in full flower whilst others are coming into flower in patches (the least pigeon damaged areas) and slowly more and more of the fields are turning yellow. We are getting concerned about timing for glyphosate when it is time to desiccate as crops are so uneven. It has not been a good week for spraying so far very windy.
Sclerotinia: showery conditions now increase the risk but it has been cold for germination of sclerotia
Pollen beetle: levels have risen slightly to maybe 1 or 2 per plant in places but no treatment recommended at present.
Seed Weevil: activity has been noted on the warmer days a week ago and some farms have included Mavrik in with the flowering spray. Activity has not increased recently.
Weed control: thin poorly competitive crops are going to allow some weed problems to show through later. On light land poppy control has been Ok with the use of a split Novall but where the timing has not been spot on some poppies will come through in thin crops.

East Midlands. Most crops at some stage of flowering but some infield flowering patchy. First pods starting to form.
Pollen beetle: numbers remain low but have treated a few backward crops.
Seed weevil: Just a few found so far but reports of high levels in Cambridgeshire so will be watching for them, especially where sclerotinia sprays to go on and insecticide can be added if required. Cooler and windy weather will slow them down until warmer and settled weather returns.
Sclerotinia: adopting a wait and see policy at the moment.
Weed control: control now complete.

West Midlands. Crops range from green bud to pod set on the same plant! It is going to be an interesting challenge to get desiccation sprays timed correctly in these crops. Most crops now starting to flower to a lesser or greater extent and there are now some obviously yellow fields about. Return to cooler conditions aren't helping.
Pigeons: still present in some fields.
Pollen beetle: still hard to find.
Seed Weevil: the odd one being found.
Sclerotinia: petal fall starting and petals sticking to crop.
Weed control: some late season herbicides seem to have caused some damage to crops delaying flowering and shortening them.

North East. Crops still range from green bud to flowering. The forward crops are pushing ahead well but some backward crops are still struggling.
Pigeons: becoming less of a problem.
Pollen beetle: odd beetle seen in crops at green bud, but levels much lower than previous years.
Seed Weevil: none seen.
Light leaf spot: low levels only.
Weed control: post emergence programme worked well on blackgrass especially propyzamide with cold season.

Winter Barley

South: crops like wheats are still around 2 weeks behind normal, but return to cooler conditions is not hindering development now, with most crops now between GS37-39 and first awns just tipping. All crops appear very short, even Volume, so are unlikely to need much if any in the way of late PGR’s. T2 sprays planned for 80% awn emergence will be 0.75-1.00lt Bontima + Proline (0.33) or Siltra (0.4-0.5) + Comet.
East: there are some very variable crops about, those under a bit of stress are showing signs of booting and the some of the more backward ones are about 6 inches tall at GS 39. However, all crops are at flag leaf emergence or beyond.
East Midlands: flag leaf now out and awns about to appear. Many crops shorter than usual meaning no need for late growth regulator. Once T2 is on then gates will be shut all being well.
West Midlands: a few stressed crops with the flag out and odd awns appearing but the majority are flag leaf emerging to emerged.
North East: Flag leaf visible on most crops. Odd forward crops have first awns visible GS 49.

Sugar Beet.

Just as we were beginning to feel that fields had established, even if many have less than ideal plant populations, the wind last Thursday has caused a great amount of damage and re- drilling. Farmers are saying that they have never seen some of the areas blow before, it ripped out barley cover crops as well. A few unlucky growers are re-drilling for the 2nd time.

All this makes herbicide recommendations very tricky, it is important to keep on top of the weeds on these struggling fields by using small safe doses probably without oil as it will be some time before more aggressive herbicides can be used to help on large weeds. It will mean going more often and watching the fields for late weeds emerging in gaps. Laying down residual herbicide will help.

We have had a week without spraying now and some herbicide plans may need reviewing where beet are strong enough to take bigger mixes. Once again if the first spray was on time then that has set the scene for good weed control. Volunteer potatoes are just beginning to emerge and clopyralid is being included in with FAR spraying.