26 May 2015. Early sown winter wheat crops are booting with ears beginning to emerge. Earliest crops are expected to start flowering by the end of this month with the bulk of flowering expected in the first two weeks of June. 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 full 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. Gout fly eggs found on southern spring wheat crops, this pest can be damaging in spring crops.

Met-office forecast for wheat flowering period: may be rather windy, particularly in the northwest, with the bulk of the rainfall also here. Southern and eastern areas look best placed for the driest, brightest weather. Temperatures are likely to be below average in the northwest, but near average further south and east. Into the first week of June unsettled conditions are considered likely to continue in the northwest, with slightly below average temperatures, but more settled, warmer, conditions may start to dominate in the southeast. There is, however, a signal for higher pressure to become established to the north of the UK until the middle of June. This would lead to drier, warmer conditions for many, these perhaps most prolonged in the north, but it may also allow some more unsettled, perhaps thundery, weather to move up from continental Europe and affect the south of the country.

• Ears emerging in forward wheat crops.
• Thoughts turn to fusarium treatments.
• Mildew develops in some wheat crops.
• T2 fungicides underway/completed.
• Winter barley flowering.
• Spring barley begins to extend.
• Spring barley Ramularia developing.
• Spring wheat - check for gout fly eggs.
• Septoria held so far.
• Sugar beet downy mildew creeping in.
• Bean weevils moving into spring beans.

Winter Wheat

South. Crops now range from GS32-33 (late November sowings) to mostly GS39-52 for September/October sowings – crop development is surprisingly rapid given recent cool days and nights, but crops are responding to increasing day length. September and early October sown crops of Cordiale, Crusoe and Skyfall now have ears up to 50% emerged. T2 applications mostly completed in last 10 days and thoughts are rapidly turning to T3!
Gout Fly – first eggs being found now on lower leaves of later sown wheats and also Spring Wheat.
Brown rust: T0 and T1 fungicides have removed any visible signs of disease.
Mildew: still mostly absent.
Septoria: obvious in the lower canopy (leaf 5 and below, with some on top 1/3 of leaf 4 in earlier sown crops), but top 3 leaves remain spotless for now despite nearly 3 inches of rain in May so far. Showery and windy conditions in the last two weeks will have potentially transferred infection onto upper leaves, particularly as many canopies are still relatively short.
Yellow rust: none seen to date.
Eyespot: some general stem based browning is quite widespread - in many cases likely to be Michrodochium.
Weed control: blackgrass survivors from herbicide programmes are now beginning to show above wheat canopies – thicker patches being sprayed-off with Roundup.

Eastern Counties. Early drilled (5/9/14 – 25/9/14) now have ear emerging or emerged (eg Gallant). Later drilled wheats just getting to GS37. 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. One or two forward crops have ear emerging (Skyfall) but most at flag leaf emerging to emerged. Late crops have flag leaf just emerging. Many crops look very good with some crops requiring a late growth regulator usually with the flag spray but some before that to prevent them getting away. Wind and rain have hindered spraying but field conditions are good. Protein N going on now whilst rain about generally around 40-50 kg - some Skyfall will get ear protein as well where on a fixed price contract. Expect T2 to go on by end of week now unsettled weather is moving away and timing looks good do not expect to have to revise rates to chase septoria.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: generally low - some seen on Crusoe but at base of crop and T2 should hold it down otherwise crops remain quite clear
Septoria: upper leaves remain clear with leaf 5 worst affected but on the whole crops look clean from leaf 4 up.
Yellow rust: none seen in crops.
Eyespot: levels remain low.
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 flag. T2 applications are now in full swing/completed and most are within three weeks of T1 applications. Showery weather has caused 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: trace levels on Solstice that didn't get a T0 fungicide.
Eyespot: remains at low levels - less than 5% of stem bases.
Weed control: Good control of grass weeds in general. Groundsel proving to be a bit more difficult to control this year and assume the dry spring prevented herbicide take up.

North East. Flag leaves are out on the most advanced crops and T2 applications are under way. Slugs seen on flag leaf this week. Cooler weather slowed growth slightly this week
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: beginning to develop on some varieties enough to warrant treatment at T2.
Septoria: moving on to final leaf 4 but no further development seen.
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 late flowering and end of flowering with pod set complete – hopefully no more inputs until pre-harvest Roundup now!
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: some crops reached thresholds again at the end of last week, mainly in locations where there have been problems in previous seasons.

Eastern Counties. All crops past peak flowering some have only a tinge of yellow left. Pod set looks good. Early drilled crops are the best. Variable amounts of rain recently followed by heavier showers now turning drier. Still a relatively dry month to date.
Sclerotinia: most crops received a robust sclerotinia spray before the early may rain. As crops are well past peak flowering it looks as if our goal of a single fungicide application during flowering has been achieved.
Seed weevil: present on several of the sunny warmer days.

East Midlands. Many crops at late flowering with forward crops starting to look more green than yellow, and many crops look good.
Light leaf spot: no sign of any damage yet and hopefully wont see any where early treatments went on.
Sclerotinia: second sclerotinia sprays now on where necessary although some farmers cutting back to one spray with the price of rape
Seed Weevil : levels remain low with no crops at thresholds - the cold weather and rain appear to have kept them away - perhaps gone abroad for the summer?

West Midlands. Crops range from late petal fall to late 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 to late flowering and looking well.
Phoma: no new sightings.
Light Leaf Spot: no new developments.
Sclerotinia: no signs yet but crops have been treated.
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 at Awns/ears emerged.
Eastern:  Ears emerging to beginning of flowering. Disease levels remain very low.
West Midlands. Many crops are flowering. All crops remain remarkably free of disease.
East Midlands. Ears now out and expect gate now to be shut unless massive surge in aphids.
North East:  Awn emergence to early flowering. Crops still remain free of disease with only traces of Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium on older leaves.

Spring barley

South East. All crops now range between GS30-32 and have improved dramatically since last weeks inch of rain and cool conditions. Rhynchosporium only low levels noted in most crops to date, only exception is fields that were in barley last year which have moderate levels in lower canopy in places along with some Ramularia beginning to show.
Eastern counties. Crops are range from GS 16 - 33 and vastly improved by recent rains. Traces of Net-blotch just showing. High levels of poppies and bindweed, being treated now.
East Midlands. Forward crops at stem extension and recent rain has helped get them moving where emergence was patchy. High rates of SU herbicides required where heavy broad leaf weed particularly for fat hen where mecoprop is being added for extra control. Disease levels remain very low.
West Midlands. Earliest drilled crops are beginning to extend and all crops have picked up after recent rain. Disease levels remain very low but weeds emerging fast in unsprayed crops. Some crops on the thick side.
North East. Crops range from GS14-30.Vastly improved by recent rain and remain disease free.

Sugar Beet

Crop growth has been slow in cool weather but recent rains have helped. It will be sometime before crops meet across the row which has implications for weed control. Following the rains the post-emergence herbicides have worked well and many crops look relatively clean after receiving two applications. However, it will be necessary to continue the programme to maintain control of late weed flushes until canopy closure and to tidy up a few surviving weeds, especially noticeable on ‘rougher’ seedbeds or where they were drill directly onto the ploughed and pressed work as weeds have sheltered behind ridges or clods. It is worth changing the direction of travel each time a pass is made.  The interval between the second and third application can probably be stretched to catch as many newly emerged weeds as possible – there is no substitute for field inspection. However, weeds can emerge and grow rapidly at this time of the year. FAR spraying has gone very well with generally 4 or 5 applied to date. Volunteer potatoes have been slow to appear and the second application of Shield (clopyralid) has only just been made, we generally use 3 or 4 split applications to cover the period during which the potatoes continue to emerge. Adding a little phenmedipham and especially ethofumesate to later applications which are often made after broad leaved weed control is complete will help with the uptake of clopyralid.

It is essential to start tractor hoeing for weed beet control ASAP. They become difficult to cut with the hoe after the 4 to 6 leaf stage, several early drilled crops are more advanced than this now.

Downy mildew has just stared to appear on the odd plant here and there.