15 May 2015. Flag leaf emergence in many wheat crops this week. Septoria still remains the main threat in crops with the disease found on final leaf 4 in many crops. Winter barley crops are now at awn to ear emergence and for many the gate will now close on this crop until pre-harvest glyphosate applications. Winter oilseed rape crops are beginning to loose petals with the earliest crops reverting to green.

• Flag emerging or emerged in many wheat crops.
• T2 fungicides underway/completed.
• Ears appearing in winter barley.
• Septoria creeps up the canopy.
• Sugar beet damaged by sand blow.
• Bean weevils moving into spring beans.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now range from GS32 (November sowings) to GS37-39 for September/October sowings – recent rain (c.50mm now in last 2 weeks) along with cooler weather has slowed down leaf emergence slightly, but most September and early October sown crops of Cordiale, Solstice, Crusoe and Skyfall now have Flag-leaves 25-100% emerged. The most advanced crop of Skyfall now at ear emergence. T2 applications now underway and in many cases will be applied within 14-21 days of T1 applications.
Brown rust: T0 and T1 fungicides have removed any visible signs of disease.
Mildew: still mostly absent.
Septoria: beginning to develop now on tips of leaf 4 in a range of varieties. Showery and windy conditions this week will have potentially transferred infection onto leaf 2 and emerging flag-leaves, particularly as many canopies are still relatively short. T2 applications are now underway based around either Aviator or Adexar +/- Chlorothalonil.
Yellow rust: none seen to date.
Eyespot: stem based browning becoming more visible again following recent rain on earliest sown wheats (in many cases also likely to be Michrodochium).
Weed control: Blackgrass survivors from herbicide programmes are now beginning to show above wheat canopies.

Eastern Counties. Early drilled crops now have the flag leaf emerging or emerged (eg Gallant). Later drilled wheats just getting to GS33. Growth stages more in keeping with calendar date now.
Brown rust: trace levels found on Crusoe.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: obvious on old leaves in all situations. T2 imminent. Adexar and Bravo
Yellow rust: trace levels on Solstice.
Eyespot: none seen.
Weed control: Blackgrass areas will get sprayed off with glyphosate in crop.

East Midlands. Most crops have flag leaf tip showing/emerging with a few forward crops at flag leaf emerged. Soil conditions good but wind has been the main factor in preventing spraying on some days.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: trace levels only.
Septoria: plenty on leaf 5 but upper crops clear so far although some leaf 4 are showing signs. But leaf 3 up look very good.
Yellow rust: none in crops but seen in Kielder in unsprayed trial plots where only T2 going on showing benefit of T1.
Eyespot: conspicuous by its absence - hardly any stem browning seen at all.
Weed control: blackgrass now starting to head and flower although in some crops stunted which may be due to the resistance problem letting it grow back but on the whole not as bad as last year.

West Midlands. The most advanced crops now at the booting stage, but the majority of early sown crops are at full flag leaf emergence. Later sown crops are at early flag. T2 applications are now in full swing although blustery weather was causing some hold ups.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: gone.
Septoria: many crops now have signs of Septoria on the tips of leaf 4 tips. However, final leaf three remains clear of disease.
Yellow rust: obvious signs on Oakley and trace levels on Kielder.
Eyespot: remains at low levels - less than 5% of stem bases.
Weed control: Good control of grass weeds in general.

North East. Crops range from GS 33-37.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: traces levels on variety Target.
Septoria: moving on to final leaf 4 particularly where either T0 or T1 fungicides were delayed.
Yellow rust: no new infections seen.
Eyespot: trace levels on some second wheat.
Weed control: post emergence applications for control of blackgrass have been variable. Bindweed and newly emerged cleavers will need treating.

Winter Oilseed Rape

South. Most crops are now between mid to late flowering with 20-30 pods set.
Sclerotinia: all crops here in the South were sprayed around 2 weeks ago and those that are still at mid-flowering stage are due for second fungicides now onwards.
Seed weevil: still finding a few adult weevils when not blowing a gale (mainly headlands), but not at thresholds.

Eastern Counties. Some crops still in full flower (generally crops have flowered very well followed by good pod set) most are in various stages of petal fall. A little more rain but immediately followed by blustery windy conditions which have been very drying hopefully these conditions may lessen the risk of petal stick.
Sclerotinia: although flowering is continuing for a reasonably long period many days during flowering have been dry and few growers are opting for a 2nd sclerotinia spray.
Seed weevil: present on several of the sunny warmer days.

East Midlands. Forward crops have 20-30 pods on main stem with side stems still flowering. Later crops at mid petal fall with pods forming
Sclerotinia: 2nd sclerotinia sprays now on where necessary although some farmers cutting back to one spray with the price of rape
Seed Weevil : levels generally well below threshold although windy days has prevented any real assessments but not expecting to spray for any

West Midlands. Crops range from late petal fall to mid flowering. The earliest crops are now starting to turn green again.
Light leaf spot: no new sightings.
Sclerotinia: all crops have been treated once and very few have elected to go for a second treatment.
Seed weevil : cooler, windy conditions have kept them out of the crops.

North East. Crops mainly at mid flower stage to early petal fall.
Phoma: no new sightings.
Light Leaf Spot: no new developments.
Sclerotinia: mid flower spray planned for after rain, or 3 weeks after last fungicide.
Seed weevil : now at threshold levels in several fields.
Weed control: recent flush of blackgrass coming through the cracks of dry soil.

Winter Barley.

South: Crops typically now in range GS37-39 with awns emerging in some fields/crops – T2 fungicide applications likely on many crops in next 7-10 days @ Awns emerging. Disease levels remain low after T1 applications.
Eastern:  Awns emerging to beginning of flowering. Disease levels remain very low.
West Midlands. Many crops are coming into ear now. All crops remain remarkably free of disease.
East Midlands. Crops now have awns out. Disease levels remain very low and T2 fungicides now applied.
North East: Awn emergence in many crops. Crops still remain free of disease with only traces of Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium on older leaves.

Spring barley

South East. Most crops now between GS24-29– severe manganese deficiency symptoms showing on some fields where seedbeds were looser and drier. So far crops are free of disease.
Eastern counties. Crops are mailnly at GS 30 and growing fast. Traces of Net-blotch just showing.
East Midlands. Crops at GS 23-30 with the later crops delayed by dry seedbeds at drilling. Generally poor control of blackgrass from pre ems probably due to dry conditions during crop emergence. A few bad crops will get Axial but expect to see blackgrass in bottom of spring barley crops.
West Midlands. Earliest drilled crops have tillered well and all crops have picked up after recent rain. Disease levels remain very low but weeds emerging fast in unsprayed crops.
North East. Crops range from GS14-30.Vastly improved by recent rain and remain disease free.

Sugar Beet

Unfortunately the very windy weather last week, Tuesday 5th May, took its toll and we have been re-drilling areas of fields due to soil blow damage. This is not extensive but has occurred in fields where we have not had problems previously. It mainly affected fields with smaller beet i.e. only at 1st true leaves stage; where beet were further ahead they seemed to withstand the battering from the soil better. A frost the night after the sand had blasted the tender seedlings didn’t help. On one farm we are re-drilling for the second time.

Elsewhere the crop grows steadily with plenty of fields well established at the 6 leaf stage and strong enough to take most herbicide mixes. We are a good 2 weeks behind last year however.The recent rains have resulted in a little pest damage with wilted seedlings showing signs of pest grazing to the roots. It is not always easy to find the culprits but leatherjackets are suspects.
Weed control is progressing, most fields have received 2 post-em herbicides for broad leaved weed control , although the interval has been stretched on a few farms due to poor spraying conditions. We are now up to date and judging when to apply a third and hopefully final spray. FAR sprays have worked exceptionally well and generally a 4th is now being applied.

Applying a graminicide for black grass control has been tricky generally we are trying to make early applications and some Centurion Max went on before any broad leaved weed spraying. Results are variable. Other graminicides are still due slotted in between 2nd and 3rd broad leaved weed sprays.

Weed beet will soon need tractor hoeing if they are to be effectively cut out by the hoe.