A fortnight of dry and warm days has helped many catch up with field work. However, crops are now beginning to suffer and many report that winter cereals are short considering the growth stage. Disease levels in wheat and barley remain low although the heavy dews, particularly in the West, have helped Septoria develop. Winter oilseed rape is flowering and for early crops petal fall has started. Spring cereals are also struggling to establish especially where seed beds have capped.

• Final leaf 3 emerging or emerged in many wheat crops.
• Final leaf 2 and even flag leaf appearing on forward crops in the South.
• T1 fungicides underway/completed.
• Flag leaf appearing in some winter barley.
• Yellow rust present in odd crop
• Light leaf spot still active in East.
• Seed weevils at threshold levels in South.
• Bean weevils moving into spring beans.

Winter Wheat

South. Continuing warm weather in the last week has further encouraged rapid crop growth and leaf emergence, with most September sown crops of Cordiale, Solstice, Crusoe and Skyfall now having leaf 2 around 5-75% emerged. With most T0 applications having been made post-Easter and follow up T1 applications being made under low (dry) Septoria pressure, there should now be very effective protective  fungicide cover on leaves 2, 3 and 4 in many crop.
Brown rust: T0 and T1 fungicides have removed any visible signs of disease.
Mildew: still mostly absent, but has increased on fields where fertility is higher and canopies quite thick (Solstice and Skyfall), indicating that may develop more widely on susceptible varieties now that rapid new growth is underway.
Septoria: still very obvious on older leaves of all September and early October sown wheats – leaf 5 and above remain spotlessly clean. However, even in earliest sown crops – likely to be much lower responses to inclusion of new generation SDHI’s at T1 than last year and more Septoria resistant varieties now unlikely to need anymore input than 75%+ dose of Epoxiconazole or Proline + CTL at T1.
Yellow rust: none seen to date.
Eyespot: stem based browning visible on earliest sown wheats, but ongoing dry weather is holding further progression.
Weed control: Blackgrass generally only low levels present in most fields following autumn residuals. Moderate levels of meadow grass now in any unsprayed crops drilled in late October/November.

Eastern Counties. Early drilled now at GS32 with final leaf 3 emerging or emerged (e.g. Gallant). Some very close to GS 33. Later drilled wheats just getting to GS31. Cold nights are slowing growth. Crops are short due to dry conditions. A good rain is needed.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: none seen..
Septoria: obvious on old leaves in all situations.
Yellow rust: none seen to date.
Eyespot: none seen.
Weed control: cold weather not great for application designed for follow up blackgrass control.

East Midlands. Many crops have leaf 3 emerging up to 75% out and later crops have leaf 3 tip showing. Most crops look well and dry conditions should be getting roots down, but some crops are short even without a PGR due to dry conditions and cold nights. Conditions and weather good but expected to deteriorate - just as spraying in full swing! Better crops to get and SHDI at T1 but later drilled after maize at less risk will probably get a strobe/triazole/CTL or Proline + CTL.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: trace levels only.
Septoria: lower leaves remain clear but obvious on older leaves.
Yellow rust: no new sightings.
Eyespot: conspicuous by its absence - hardly any stem browning seen at all.
Weed control: some re growth of blackgrass where kill previously looked good obviously a low level of resistance letting plants recover a bit but hopefully these will be short and below crop!

West Midlands. September sown crops now with leaf 3 out on the main stem and faster developing varieties such as Grafton pushing leaf 2 out on the main stem. Later sown crops with leaf 3 10-20% out will put down for next week. Despite the lack of rain, heavy dews in the mornings have kept crop canopies wet which may well help Septoria development. Ground conditions are now ideal for field work , could do with a little bit of rain please.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: some very low levels on Solstice and JB Diego.
Septoria: at the start of this week obvious signs of disease on leaf 4 of crops of JB Diego.
Yellow rust:no new sightings..
Eyespot: remains at low levels - less than 5% of stem bases.
Weed control: Bromes eventually dying back after herbicide applications.

North East. Final leaf 3 now out on a few crops and T1 fungicide applications have started. Late drilled still at stem extension GS 30.  September drilled crops are between GS 31- 32, whilst October drilled crops are now at GS 31. Crops are looking good.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: traces levels on variety Target..
Septoria: very obvious on lower leaves, but new leaves remain free of disease.
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. Spring germinating wild oats are emerging.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. All crops are now between late yellow bud and early flowering, with more advanced fields entering early petal fall.
Sclerotinia: with many crops now at early flowering and showery conditions are forecast imminently, we are entering the 1st critical period for potential infection – spores are being detected on petals at monitoring sites now, so will be important to get fungicides applied to crops ahead of 1st petal fall between 10-30% flowers visible – 75% of crops have been sprayed in the last 5 days here in the South.
Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle: still only find very low levels of larvae in petioles of crops.
Pollen beetle: some backward and pigeon grazed crops are now at threshold levels.
Seed weevil: around 50% of crops inspected in last 7 days have been close to or above thresholds for weevil control.

Eastern Counties. Most crops in flower a few in full flower, seem to be becoming more even. Pigeons still a nuisance along some field boundaries. Stem splitting observed due to rapid growth. It is very dry. Would like some rain to wash final N into soil.
Light Leaf Spot: just not moving up onto upper leaves in current dry conditions.
Pollen Beetle: very little pollen beetle about, all crops now have sufficient flowers open to dismiss the need for control this season.
Sclerotinia: sclerotinia spray on earliest fields dew next week. Hope it will be a one spray season during flowering.

East Midlands. Many crops at early flower with a few at early petal fall with some good looking crops about - later pigeon damaged crops just starting to flower.
Sclerotinia: sprays ready to go at early petal fall or 2-3 weeks after growth regulator fungicide if it had sclerotinia control. A few early flowering crops have been done already so as not to clash with T1 applications for wheat with a follow up in 3 weeks - generally Proline.
Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle: no damage seen.
Pollen Beetle: on the whole no major problems with pollen beetle but a few pigeon damaged crops needed treatment as numbers increased rapidly in the warm weather before flowering started.

West Midlands. Forward crops probably at 30% flowers, majority of crops flowering very evenly, probably about 10% of fields which still have large green areas where pigeon control was lax. Petal fall starting in early flowering crops and petals are sticking where crops are wet from morning dews.
Light leaf spot: no new sightings.
Sclerotinia: awaiting rains to determine time of Sclerotinia control in most crops.
Seed weevil : a few now starting to appear.

North East. Crops now starting to flower and becoming yellower every day. First petal fall on most advanced crops
Phoma: no new sightings.
Light Leaf Spot: no new developments.
Sclerotinia: no treatment yet but mid flower spray planned for after rain, or 3 weeks after last fungicide.
Pollen Beetle: no longer an issue now crops are flowering.
Seed weevil : monitoring so far.
Weed control: recent flush of blackgrass coming through the cracks of dry soil.

Winter Barley.

South: Crops typically in range GS31-37 and generally growing rapidly with warmer weather – T2 application looking likely in around 10-14 days. Mildew was beginning to develop on newer leaves in thicker crops of Cassia/Glacier and Cassata, but T1 applications have halted any further development. Brown rust still visible on lower leaves of Volume or Cassia, but recently applied T1 fungicides should halt further spread for now.
Eastern: Madness occurring in some crops. GS 32 but some with the flag leaf emerged!! Very short (10-12 inches!). Desperate for a good soak!
West Midlands. Forward crops of Glacier and Volume have flag leaf just starting to emerge. Disease levels remain low in all crops. Crop condition is beginning to decline in the continued dry conditions.
East Midlands. Leaf 2 emerging but crops a bit short with the dry weather, expect awns to be out first week of May. Some blotching of leaves after fungicide which may be a stress factor with hot days and frost at night.
North East: Crops range from GS 31 - 32, recent rain has helped crops. Crops remain free of disease with only traces of Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium on older leaves. Brown rust in Bamboo now controlled by recent fungicide applications.

Spring barley

South East. Most crops now between GS12 and GS22. Crops need rain urgently on lighter soils now and to aid germination in some heavier patches.
Eastern counties. Just drilled to rows visible GS12-21.On bad blackgrass/ryegrass fields a fair population is emerging with the crop.
East Midlands. Crops at 2-3 leaves and generally emerging well but some patchy emergence on cloddier dry soils - imminent rain will be welcome.
West Midlands. Earliest drilled crops have 1-2 tillers but this the exception majority are 3-4 leaf with the late sown crops just emerging. Some fields have capped/slumped and rain now would be ideal for many crops
Some have had to re drill some headlands because of capping. No signs of any disease yet but pre emergence herbicides have caused some crop scorch.
North East. Crops at the one to two leaf stage. Seed beds are dry and pre-emergence herbicides are struggling.

Spring beans.

In East Midlands crops are emerging with little weevil damage but the odd notching seen in emerging crops and will need monitoring. In the West Midlands bean weevil activity has picked up quickly over the last few days with extensive notching in some crops. In the North East crops are at the two leaf pair stage and bean weevil damage has needed treatment on a few fields.

Sugar Beet

Re-drilling of sugar beet (an expensive operation) did prove necessary on some areas of fields badly affected by soil blowing on 12th April, decisions were made the following week, areas marked out and re-drilling complete by 17th April. We just hope the crop manages to establish before any more damage occurs as the soil surface on these fields is in a vulnerable state. First post-em herbicides on the damaged fields have been low rates with no added oil.

There has generally been a large flush of cotyledon weeds appearing alongside the beet especially on finer seedbeds. All but the latest drilled have received the first post-em herbicide ( 2 to 3 FAR sprays have been made where this system is in place). We will be assessing fields next week to make plans for 2nd post-em sprays where Debut will be required on several crop especially for cleaver control.

Most beet has been or shortly will be top dressed. The most advanced fields have 2 true leaves.

Centurion Max has been applied where large flushes of blackgrass have appeared early on. Other fields will have a black –grass spray slotted in between the first and second broad leaved weed herbicide, this will probably be Aramo due to the long gaps imposed by the Centurion Max label.