18 April 2014. Winter wheat crops now all at or near T1 timing with many commentating that final leaf three is emerging in most crops irrespective of sowing date or growth stage. Crops in the south have raced ahead with some now with flag leaf visible. Disease levels other than Septoria are low but problems with product supply are frustrating attempts to get the job done. Flag leaf is beginning to emerge in some forward crops of winter barley and expect to see this in more crops over the next week. Pod set in winter oilseed rape is looking good and sclerotinia control is now the priority.

• Seed weevil numbers remain low
• T1 fungicides now
• Sclerotinia - evaluate threat
• Yellow rust levels diminished
• Wild oats emerging
• Brown rust in southern wheat
• Flag leaf in winter barley
• Flag leaf on forward wheat
• Weed control in sugar beet

Winter Wheat

South. Despite some cooler nights and ground frosts, wheat crops have moved into “Top Gear” in the last week, with September and early October sown crops of Gallant, Solstice, Crusoe and Cordiale now having leaf 2 50-75% emerged on main shoots, with tip of flag-leaf just showing in some early sown crops of Gallant. Claire, Scout, Leeds and Diego are still around 10 days behind developmentally, with leaf 3 around 25-50% emerged.
Brown rust: generally only low levels detectable at present. T0 Triazole + Bravo mix applied in last 3 weeks @ leaf 4 emergence – being/been followed up at T1 with Tracker + Strobilurin + CTL
Yellow rust: no active disease.
Mildew: no active pustules seen to date.
Septoria:symptoms present on tip leaf 5 in earlier sown crops, otherwise generally confined to oldest leaves. In many crops, even the more Septoria prone varieties,  the top 3 leaves are still very clean to date. Most crops having T1 applications applied around Easter or just after to coincide with leaf 2 tipping – these generally being based around  Tracker + Bravo or Adexar + Bravo, with triazole dose topped up to 75% total.
Eyespot: stem based browning symptoms and clear eyespot lesions can be readily found now on more susceptible varieties (Cordiale, Solstice and Gallant), particularly on heavier soils.
Weed control: some surviving patches of blackgrass in a few areas that will be sprayed-off with Roundup once it is clearly visible. Have got two fields that have a high enough surviving population overall to justify whole-cropping rather than risk seed return from combining.

Eastern Counties. Crops are mainly at GS30/31 (some at 32) ready now for T1. Just mindful of the gap betweenT1 and T2 some holding back slightly even if crops are ready to keep the gap between sprays less than 25 days at max. Second wheats will be ready next week. No signs of BYDV…..yet!
Yellow rust: only found where a T0 did not go on.
Brown rust: trace levels.
Mildew: trace levels.
Eyespot: not significant.
Septoria: recent hot dry weather seems to have taken some of the septoria out.
Weed control: good control of blackgrass from Atlantis this spring.

East Midlands. . Forward crops have leaf 3 emerging and some showing leaf 2 tip. Average crops have leaf 4 emerged and leaf 3 about to emerge. Later crops at GS 30-31. Field conditions good but top soils where cloddy are now quite rough and dry.
Yellow rust: levels remain low.
Brown rust: none seen.
Septoria: still plenty on older leaves but leaves 5 upwards are clean with leaf 4 very clean with T0 working well combined with dry weather. Forward crops receiving T1 this week so this should keep well on top of it.
Mildew: levels remain very low with colder nights and drying days and is not a problem.
Eyespot: dry conditions and breezes have kept crops very dry at bottom on eyespot is generally not a a problem but a few crops have lesions penetrating. Any at risk crops getting Tracker, particularly quality wheats.
Weed control: cleaver control Eagle at T0 has worked well and some to get Eagle at T1 as temperatures fluctuating too much for Starane.

West Midlands. Wheat all I seem to be doing is looking at wheat with leaf 3 poking out to fully out, almost irrespective of sowing date, soil type and height of crop! There are plenty of early wheat with leaf 3 fully out with leaf 2 chasing it. Can’t hold off any more so going in with Aviator as of 17 April. I reckon that 80% of the remaining wheat will get T1 from Tuesday to Friday next week
Yellow rust: low levels found in crop of Leeds this week.
Brown rust: none seen.
Septoria: all crops crops carrying high levels. Recent rain will have spread it through the canopy.
Mildew: very little seen..
Eyespot: huge range of incidence ranging from only a few percent up to 35% of tillers, as ever it is the field rather than the variety which is the main influence.
Weed control: more cleavers now showing. Flush of charlock over the last week or two. Autumn applied Atlantis ( late November ) following full rate Liberator+ Hurricane good control of blackgrass BUT more has germinated in January/February.

North East. Crops range between GS 30-32. The most forward crops with leaf three out are now being treated with a T1 fungicide.
Yellow rust: controlled by T0 fungicides.
Brown rust: none seen.
Mildew: none seen.
Septoria: present in many crops.
Eyespot: developing in a few crops.
Weed control: Polygonum weeds, charlock, wild oats and other spring weeds starting to emerge.

Winter Oilseed Rape 

South. All crops now typically at mid-flowering, though only about 1/3 flower left on main raceme of Alienor and Trinity now.
Pollen beetle: low levels only.
Seed weevil: very low levels of adults can be found on headlands of some fields on warmer afternoons – still looks as though main migration is likely to occur after Easter.
Phoma: only very low levels of renewed leaf spotting are evident in crops that were sprayed in November.
Light leaf spot: worst affected crops have had canopies badly affected by infection – triazole fungicides are definitely not as effective as they were against Light leaf spot and varietal resistance will become an important consideration in varietal choice for subsequent years.
Sclerotinia:  with soil temperatures falling slightly to 8-9’C this week, coupled with colder nights, conditions have been less conducive sclerotinia infection – however as crops are now all flowering, and with generally mild and unsettled conditions forecast for the remainder of April, the risk of infection remains high in any unprotected crops.

Eastern Counties. Crops slowly coming into full flower, some pigeon damaged, rabbit grazed, wet or shaded areas are slower.
Light leaf spot: more light leaf spot seen recently, stem infection noted as well.
Seed weevil: difficult to find.
Sclerotinia: first flowering spray started on most advanced crops, others spraying this week, some due next week. Looking at an interval of around 3 weeks after previous (yellow bud) spray timed at early petal fall. Stretching interval a bit in current dry weather also been held up waiting for prothioconazole delivery.

East Midlands. All crops flowering with forward crops at 15 pods with later crops just starting pod formation.
Light leaf spot: levels remain low.
Sclerotinia: sprays going on or are on  earlier crops where well into flower especially as weather looks like breaking and damp nights leaving petals on leaves in spite of dry days, and crops all look good and are worth looking after. Mainly prothioconazole based sprays.
Seed weevil: sprayers applying sclerotinia sprays show no weevil on front of machines.

West Midlands. Virtually all crops are flowering with the most forward (mainly Cubic and Marathon) all ready dropping petals (which are sticking). Cubic probably at 30% flowers
Pollen beetle: rare.
Seed weevil: none seen.
Light leaf spot: trace levels in some crops.
Sclerotinia: kicked off with sclerotinia applications on Monday most will have finished by this Friday, hoping that all crops finish flowering within 20 days of application, thus avoiding another trip through.

North East. Crops range from early flowering to mid flowering. Generally good healthy crops so far, growth regulatory fungicides used to good effect. Sclerotinia sprays now the main focus.
Seed weevil : none at thresholds.
Light Leaf Spot: under control now.
Phoma: traces levels.

Winter Barley.

South. Crops now generally at GS32-37 - T1 applications now all been completed in last 10 days or so. Thoughts now turning to Flag-leaf PGR’s where required, though many crops appear quite short at present. Final N applications all been completed, with totals between 175 -200 kg/ha.
Eastern. GS 32. Low levels of Net-blotch but some hefty amounts of Rhynchosporium in some crops.
West Midlands. GS 31/2. Rhynchosporium and Net-blotch present at low levels. Most crops looking good to very good
East Midlands. Crops at GS30-31 and all had T1 this week. Crops look well.
North East.  GS 30 to GS 32. Flag leaf emerging. T1 fungicides now on forward crops. Low levels of mildew, Net-blotch and Rhynchosporium. Brown rust in Cassia.

Sugar Beet

Early drilled crops placed into fine seedbeds are now at 2 true leaf stage with very vigorous growth, long bold cotyledons – good colour. Some cloddier seedbeds especially the later drilled where moisture was rapidly being lost during seedbed cultivations are in need of a decent rain to germinate seed lying amongst hard dry clods. Some frost damage seen today but only on a low lying fen site, a few seedlings taken out at expanded cotyledon stage. There has been a little slug activity but negligible surface feeding during current dry conditions. If surfaces become moist then vigilance is needed on cloddy open seedbeds.

Lots of post-emergence spraying taking place at the moment. second Conventional sprays are being applied/ needed soon on earlier drilled beet and third FARs also being applied in places. Main weeds are volunteer oilseed rape, black bindweed, pansy, orache, redshank, knotgrass, poppy and cleavers and fat hen emerging early.

A flush of black-grass at 1-2 leaf stage has appeared and we aim to apply a graminicide next week. Rain on Monday would help but there is plenty of moisture beneath the surface in these seedbeds. Label required intervals with post-em broad leaved herbicides poses a problem, but black-grass control has got to take priority.