24 May 2013. A return to cooler showery weather has but crops on hold again this week. The reports confirm that many crops are short this year which means that diseases such as Septoria and Sclerotinia will be more easily transmitted through the canopy. Oilseed rape crops range from green bud to pod set and backward or pigeon damaged crops have failed to fill out as expected. The flag leaf is beginning to emerge in early sown wheat crops and some T2 fungicides have been applied. However, for most crops this will be next week. Disease levels continue to be low in both wheat and barley.

• Seed Weevil keep monitoring.
• Risk of Sclerotinia.
• Flag leaf emergence in wheat.
• Awns emerging in winter barley.
• Late flush of weeds in winter cereals.
• Sugar beet varied growth.

Winter Wheat

South. September and early October sown Gallant, Cordiale and Solstice have caught up somewhat and are now around GS 37-39 on main shoots. Other varieties sown before the end of October now range between GS32-33 with leaf 2 1/3-2/3 emerged on main shoots, with tip of flag-leaf  also just showing in some crops now. Otherwise, later autumn sown crops are  still around GS31-32 with the tip of leaf 2 starting to emerge. Crops sown in January/February are around GS30-31 with leaf 3 emerging on main shoots. T1 spraying now completed on all crops that have leaf 3 2/3+ emerged. With flag leaves emerging/emerged on more advanced crops, T2 applications will be due next week – these will be based primarily around Adexar or Aviator.
Mildew: none seen.
Yellow rust: none seen
Brown rust: none seen
Septoria tritici: September sown Cordiale and Scout are showing high levels of infection on leaf 5 and below, with some infection now visible on the tip of Leaf 4, otherwise most wheats are still only showing very low levels of infection on the lower leaves.
Eyespot: none seen.
Weed control: blackgrass control showing mixed results, with some fields showing nearly 100% control, with others down at a mix of 30% dead, 50% stunted and 20% healthy.

Eastern Counties. Flag leaf emerging on forward crops and leaf 2 out or emerging on October sown crops. T2 to start next week.
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.

East Midlands. Most crops have leaf 2 emerged with some crops at flag leaf just emerging. Better crops now look well although a bit short. Field conditions good but one or two wetter areas after recent rain indicating soils still very wet below in some places. Big decision is although T1 has just gone on flag leaf emerging which should be T2 time. Will stick to normal T2 timings on quality wheat and dirty wheat but on cleaner varieties will go when ears in boot. Will aim for 2 weeks between T1 and T2 or thereabouts.
Mildew: very low levels mainly at stem base.
Septoria: on bottom leaves but top 4-5 leaves so far clear.
Yellow rust: reports of yellow rust in Warks and in Solstice in Leics.
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.

West Midlands. Generally crops have responded well to the rain of last week, particularly the lighter land crops which have really taken off since the warm weekend. Mid-September sown crops are now anywhere from Flag 10% out to fully out ( irrespective of variety ) warm weekend helped the job, these crops will do 4t given some decent weather. October sown crops are just starting to poke a flag leaf out otherwise leaf 2 ½ out, majority of the T1 sprays went on these crops over the last weekend so some will probably have a 2 week gap and some a 3 week gap between T1 and 2.
Opomyza: tiller death from yellow cereal fly larvae are more obvious this year than for some time.
Mildew: just starting to develop in some crops of Oakley and Solstice.
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  GS 31 -33.  Odd Forward crops at GS 37 with Flag leaf just visible. Some fields have unusually large gap in growth stages within field owing to a rough start caused by wet and cold conditions. Canopy development is slow, so weeds have had more chance to germinate with wet and warmer weather. Generally crops are looking short for this time of year and are probably 2 – 3 weeks behind from bench mark.
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. Around 80% of crops are now at early to full flower, with remaining 20% of crops that were heavily pigeon grazed 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: panic over now that most crops are flowering.
Seed Weevil: adults can be still be readily found on any warmer afternoons in upper flowers – looks to be a particularly problematic year for weevil due to late and variable flowering & also warmer ambient temperatures encouraging weevil migration.

Eastern Counties. Fields all now flowering, some pigeon damaged areas are very short indeed.
Sclerotinia: all crops have now been treated with one sclerotinia spray. Application may have been on the early side on some of the more forward time with reference to the slow germination of sclerotia. In view of the high value of the crop we are considering a second spray on some of those fields treated about 3 weeks ago. Will use Compass.
Pollen beetle: levels have risen slightly to maybe 1 or 2 per plant in places but no treatment recommended at present.
Seed Weevil: very little seed weevil activity seen over the last week.
Weed control: thin poorly competitive crops are going to allow some weed problems to show through later. On light land some poppies will come through in thin crops.

East Midlands. All crops flowering with forward crops at 15-20 pod stage. Main problem is spread of flowering across the field which will make harvest difficult – in some case may mean a split harvest in the same field.
Pollen beetle: numbers remain low but have treated a few backward crops.
Seed weevil: numbers remain on the whole low with just a few plants with 2-3 weevil but many plants with none. Cooler and windier weather will slow them down a bit but clients told to be vigilant and assess frequently. One client reports seeing none on tractor after sclerotinia spray which is usually a good indicator (the 'front of tractor' test).
Sclerotinia: adopting a wait and see policy at the moment.
Weed control: Report s of cleavers starting to recover after galera in thin areas where no crop competition, same with mayweed and shield, where mayweed is stunted but not died off

West Midlands. Flowers showing in most crops now but the pigeon damaged areas have only managed to produce a single stem with no obvious side branches. In hindsight it is beginning to look like we should have pulled up more crops than we did. Harvest will be the final arbitrator on that.
Pigeons: still present in some fields.
Pollen beetle: still hard to find.
Seed Weevil: a few about in the warmer weather last weekend - too cold now though..
Sclerotinia: petal fall starting and petals sticking to crop.


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.

Winter Barley

South: many crops remaining at 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 – any Flag-leaf PGR’s now need applying urgently. T2 spraying likely to be underway next week when awns showing on 80% of shoots.
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: awns emerging and T2 on so now gates shut. Crops remain clear of all diseases and look generally well but a bit short.
West Midlands: awns emerging on most crops. Crops much shorter than usual so not much straw come harvest. Disease levels remain low.
North East: crops at GS 33 - 49. Most crops in Booting. Odd forward crops have first spikelet of ear visible. Many crops looking shorter than usual.

Sugar beet

Crops are at a whole range of growth stages often within the same field. There is loss of vigour also on some March drilled crops due to the slow erratic, emergence and on some fields damage from wind blow. We also have expanded cotyledon beet emerging in the gaps on cobbly seedbeds which lay dry for a long period. There are several re-drilled bits and pieces about, a few fields or areas have been re-drilled twice!

On the more positive side there are also some very evenly established crops growing well and at the six leaf stage plus, more often or not these are from April drillings.

Herbicide recommendations need to be mindful of the stage of beet growth and vigour. On the whole we are on top of the weeds but haven't finished yet. It will be a long time before some fields have developed a competitive canopy, also we need to watch the gappy crops for late emerging weeds.