09 Oct 2015. The high pressure likely to return to UK but below average temperatures will slow crop growth.

• Phoma at threshold levels in south and appearing in west and east.

• Slugs active in wheat after oilseed rape crops.

• Blackgrass emerging in oilseed rape crops.

Winter Wheat

South. 80% of wheat crop has now been drilled but very few crops are actually up. Forage maize harvesting just getting underway. Soils generally remain moist or very moist below the surface but are drying rapidly on top.
Slugs: becoming more active especially after oilseed rape.

Eastern Counties. Now have about 40% of the projected crop drilled of which about a third is up. The earliest drilled are now at the two leaf stage. Large populations of blackgrass emerging, in both stale seed beds and drilled wheat.
Slugs: very active after crops of oilseed rape.

East Midlands. Drilling in earnest until rain came with some farms 90% drilled up but later ones with blackgrass about 20% drilled up. Odd crop just emerging on headlands. Heavy rain last weekend and early week stopped all fieldwork but soil drying now to continue spraying and some drilling. Pre ems going on in good conditions with moist soils but not when heavy rain forecast.
Slugs: some treatment of cereals after rape where populations known to be high.

West Midlands. 75-80 % of crop now drilled, with quite a few finished by the end of this week. Ground conditions really very good and those that are ploughing are now pretty much able to follow the plough with the drill.
Slugs: some areas now on third application of pellets. Main issues seems to be where trash burial not too good, and or on heavy soils.
Gout fly: early sown crops easy to find eggs.

North East. Crops range from still being drilled through to GS11. Fields are wet at moment. Warm temperatures average 11 degrees. Blackgrass is starting to emerge in wheat.
Slugs: very low activity.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. Cotyledon up to 3-5 leaves with about 80% of crops are now around 1-2 true leaves, though growth is painfully slow this year due to combination of delayed sowing into September and cold wet soils.
Flea beetle: low levels of activity are now starting to appear this week.
Phoma: now being found at up to 10% in crops sown in August (mainly those with ratings of Slugs: with wet soils and delayed sowing, slugs have unsurprisingly been quite problematic on a range of soil types, particularly in areas where seedbeds poorer and “strawy”.

Eastern Counties. Most crops beyond the cotyledon stage, and now range from 1-5 leaf stage. There has been good active growth after the rains.
Flea beetle: pressure decreasing, odd field may still need a further spray.
Phoma: first signs of disease on a few fields and fungicides planned within the next 7 - 10.
Slugs: only low levels on heavy land this week.
Weed control: high populations of blackgrass emerging and Centurion Max going on this week.

East Midlands. Many forward crops at 4 leaves with later crops at 2 leaves and latest drilled at cotyledon to 1 leaf.
Flea beetle: little evidence of any problems.
Slugs: some pelleting of later drilled crops but on the whole forward crops now growing away from slugs well.
Weed control: high levels of blackgrass now showing and Centurion Max going on this week before 5 leaves of the crop and blackgrass at 2-3 leaves.

West Midlands. All crops now up, 2 to 8 true leaf. Most late sown crops now at 2 leaf stage and the most forward crops now 8 true leaf and starting to cover the ground.
Flea beetle : very low damage to date most damage on those crops adjacent to last years rape fields (all drilled with wheat now).
Slugs: no crops required pelleting this week.
Phoma: first signs.

North East. All crops range from 1 to 4 true leaf. Blackgrass emerging.
Flea beetle: patchy activity from field to field, but no crop losses. Crops improving after sprays.
Slugs: low activity only.

Winter Barley.

South. Sowing now nearly completed and earliest sown crops just starting to emerge.
Eastern. 80% of the crop now drilled and 20% has emerged. Large amounts of blackgrass destroyed pre-drilling and moderate amounts now emerging in crop.
West Midlands. About 80% now in, most are just emerging, with the most forward crops now at 3 true leaves.
East Midlands. Crops now drilled.
North East.  About 40% of the crop now sown but none has emerged yet.