South East: Crop development: many crops have GAI canopies currently around 1.5 - 2. Thinner and more backward crops on lighter solis will have a GAI < 0.75. Phoma: crops re-treated in December remain free from any re-infection.

South West: Stems just starting to move upwards on very forward crops. Image analysis using ADAS/BASF tool shows canopies ranging from GAI 3 to 0.45. Hybrids, unsurprisingly, have the largest canopies. Nitrogen rates and timing will need to be carefully tailored on a field by field basis.

East: Most crops with a GAI at around 1+. Pigeon: flocks just starting to be a nuisance.

East Midlands: Crops have tended to move backward slightly due to cold and wet and while many crops still look good and green, quite a few are showing signs of stress and wet feet with purpling and some leaf loss. Phoma: new growth remains clean but, hopefully, crops should grow away from any risk now. High risk varieties such as Royal will be monitored over next couple of weeks or so as infection in these varieties can come in quickly as weather warms up. Pigeons not a problem yet but one or two large flocks seen.

West Midlands: Most crops with GAI 1-2 and no nitrogen to be applied until March. Phoma: no signs of reinfection. Pigeons virtually absent from crops.

North East: What were dense forward crops have now lost a lot of older leaves and are much more manageable now. Stem extension up to 7-8 cm on some crops now, and have flower buds enclosed. Crops in less favourable seedbeds are very purple and will only recover when fields dry out a bit and with help of some nitrogen. Crops being assessed for GAI with most in the range of 0.7 to 1.5. Pigeons are gathering for the first time, no damage as yet.

South East: The most advanced crops approaching GS 29/30 (basal internode just discernible in most forward/thickest crops). Early nitrogen + S only being considered on late-sown wheats, second wheats, rabbit grazed fields and Soissons - this will be timed for end February - first week of March. Otherwise first nitrogen + S will be withheld until mid-March onwards. Brown rust: still common in all September sown crops of Alchemy, Claire and Solstice although drying up after colder weather. Mildew: now very hard to find active pustules following frosts/recent cold snap. Septoria: lesions now obvious on older leaves of all September/early October sown wheats - with ongoing mild conditions the level of Septoria inoculum is inevitably high. Eyespot: some stem base browning can now be found in earlier sown second wheats in particular - will need close monitoring in Spring.

South West: Some of the larger crops look significantly yellower than two weeks ago probably caused by the short cold snap and very wet soils. Sustained mildew attacks have not helped. Possible to find occasional crops on sheltered fertile fields almost at GS 30. Early mineral N results indicate low soil N levels except on deeper heavier soils. Thin brashy soils, even where FYM applied last autumn, have little remaining. Brown rust: traces in Alchemy and Claire. Mildew: seems to have freshened up a little. Septoria: very low levels in most varieties. Eyespot: the thickest early sown crops are showing stem base browning. Not specifically identified as eyespot. Blackgrass: any untreated area will be left until days lengthen in Late Feb./early March.

East Midlands: Little change due to colder weather and lower soil temps. Forward crops remain at GS 30 to 30+ with average crops at GS 29. Cold and wet has led to some loss of lower leaves particularly those previously infected with mildew. Field conditions vary from plain sticky to very wet. Heavier soils very sticky on top with localised waterlogging. Ditches running well. Headlands in particular prone to waterlogging. Little or no sign of any erosion down tramlines in spite of heavy rain after the snow. Brown rust: traces on Alchemy, Cordiale and Einstein. Mildew: generally inactive with death of lower leaves from cold and frost. No active mildew on upper new leaves but odd active pustules in thicker areas of crops, particularly Solstice. Septoria: first signs on very early drilled crops. Eyespot: considerable on Cordiale but other varieties remain clean.

West Midlands: All winter wheat drilling now completed (10 days ago), crops range from chitting to GS 31 (Einstein). Brown rust: trace levels in some crops of Alchemy. Mildew: visible on Alchemy, Solstice and Istabraq but no new pustules. Septoria: obvious on older leaves of early sown crops. Eyespot: some stem browning in early sown crops. Wheat bulb fly: very low levels after beet on light land.

East: September drilled wheat GS 29 approaching GS 30 with little change over the last fortnight. Six leaves to 7 tillers, ear at �-1 centimetre. Fields are now very wet. Brown rust: present at low levels on all varieties where early drilled. Mildew: epidemic in some crops of Solstice, plastered, with new growth affected. Will be interesting to see if crops that have large amounts of disease through the winter continue to be badly infected. Past evidence would suggest lower summer levels in these crops. Septoria: universal as always - lower leaves on forward crops most affected. Significantly less on Alchemy. No recordings of Yellow rust or Eyespot.

North East: The welcome cold spell stopped rapid crop development, so crops still mostly mid to fully tillered. A few early crops of Cordiale have main stems at GS 30. Had 20 mm rainfall this month, and fields are very wet. Most tramlines have standing water, and there are small flooded areas in many fields. Crops looking a bit stressed, with lost of dead leaves now, but they will recover very quickly with some sunshine and temperatures a bit higher. Planning first N application on most second and continuous wheats from the end of this month to early March. No early N planned for any first wheats after rape, peas or set-aside but will be applied to wheat after oats from early March. Brown rust: Higher level present than seen in previous years but expect crops to grow away from it soon. Mildew: obvious in many crops but this area of mostly heavy soils doesn't usually have a problem with mildew. Septoria: present in all forward crops, but later sown are still clean. Older leaves only with low level on Robigus and Welford. Eyespot: some stem discolouration easy to find in most early sown crops. Gout fly: moderate levels can be found in all crops sown before the end of September. Wheat bulb fly: no 'dead-hearts' found yet in untreated crops.

South East: Earliest sown crops now at GS25-29, with most crops around GS 24-25+. Any fields with higher soil N levels are supporting canopies with high tiller numbers. Manganese deficiency showing in usual areas of problem fields. Brown rust: widespread, pustules can be found in all crops of Sequel/Boost in particular. Mildew: mostly browned pustules can be found on lower leaves Sequel/Pearl.

South West: Mid tillering. Wetter areas of heavy fields have gone very yellow again. Brown rust: is readily detectable in many varieties. Mildew: at low level in most varieties.

Midlands: Generally at GS 25-29, looking well. Little or no change although some crops have paled off a bit after the cold. Mildew: at very low levels so far on lower leaves with top leaves staying clear.

East: Crops tillering with up to 9 tillers. Mildew and Net-blotch levels vary from trace to significant levels on some crops. Manganese deficiency common.

North East: Some crops fully tillered. Mildew: present in most crops, seen low level in Saffron this week. Net-blotch: reasonably high levels now in most crops, especially in Pearl, Carat and Saffron, but not considered a threat to yields at this stage.