Agronomists are of the general consensus that cereals are of higher risk of lodging as forward crops have high plant crops.

Many crops will have received early season PGR such as at T0 and will do so again at the imminent T1. Many agronomists are already considering using a late season PGR once again at T2 to slow down the lush early drilled forward crops.

However it is important to understand how these late season PGRs work as they can have detrimental effects on stressed crops says BASF’s Sarah Mountford-Smith.

“Products such as Terpal and Cerone are the most commonly used PGR’s at this later timing and are effective at reducing crop height by increasing the ethylene production in the plant, however the effects can sometimes be ‘harsh’ particularly where the crop is stressed since they effectively encourage the crop to enter early senescence,” she says.

“Canopy however has a different mode of action and operates by reducing cell elongation, and most critically, inhibiting ethylene production resulting in a much gentler effect on the plant.”

“Yield is not compromised at this vital growth stage, but both straw height and risk of lodging are reduced, making Canopy a viable alternative at this later timing.”

Simon Trenary, agronomist with Hutchinsons based in the south-west, has used Canopy at T2 in the past and will be looking to do so again this season.

“Back in 2012 we were faced with some pretty huge crops of wheat coming up towards growth stage 37-39. Added to that there was a shortage of late-season growth regulators such as Terpal, so we put together some new programmes to ensure the crops were kept standing.”

“We used Canopy at a range of rates between 0.6-1l/ha, in mixture with a water conditioner. The PGR was gentle on the crop, within growth stage restrictions and readily tank-mixable.“

Mr Trenary is seeing some very big crops again this year. “It is a very ‘growy’ season and crops look full of potential so where a late season growth regulator is required it needs to be one that doesn’t lead the crop towards early senescence.”

“Both T0 and T1 applications have included a growth regulator and to date programmes look to have had a useful effect.”

“However using Canopy at the T2 timing is likely to be a key part in keeping these crops growing, standing and maximising final yield.”