Forward crops at green bud stage

South East: Forward crops at green bud stage and are beginning to show stem extension.

Phoma: there has been no resurgence of Phoma.

Light leaf spot: none seen in the field or found from leaf incubation to date.

Weed control: Still some outstanding post emergence herbicide applications needed but it is getting late.

Eastern Counties: Plants showing lots of fresh growth in centres and some stem extension in places (odd plant). A lot of purpling of outer leaves appeared on older leaves over last week following more heavy rainfall. Plan to put N+S on as soon as it dries. None applied yet. Still very wet under foot.

Eastern Counties: Plants showing lots of fresh growth in centres and some stem extension in places (odd plant). A lot of purpling of outer leaves appeared on older leaves over last week following more heavy rainfall. Plan to put N+S on as soon as it dries. None applied yet. Still very wet under foot.

Light leaf spot: trace levels found.

Phoma: very little signs of fresh disease.

Weed control: Still waiting to apply some herbicides but time is running out. Charlock is in flower in some fields.

East Midlands: Big range of growth. Forward crops have flower buds showing or about to show with a few wellington boot high. These will get a split growth regulator to slow them down a bit, but many now going blue/purple with wet feet. Backward and suffering crops will get an early N ? probably a split of the first main application. More forward crops not hurting yet, but some crops going backwards with wet feet.

Light leaf spot: just one suspect crop which is now being incubated but otherwise crops look fairly clear so far.

Phoma: crops remain clean with just a few plants with lesions on upper leaves.

Club root: no more found but one field found where visual signs look like club root but end of tap root rotting in patches but no club root like symptoms on roots ? or may be just wet feet rotting the roots!

Weed control: Some poor blackgrass control in some fields Charlock is a problem in a few fields.

West Midlands: Majority of crops very easy to find green buds visible but as yet no obvious signs of stem extension. Crops not looking as big, bushy and forward as they did a month ago and definitely not as forward as before Christmas.

Phoma: autumn phoma control very good from one spray! With all new leaves clean at the moment.

Club root: have two cases now both on Troy, - going to start investigating purple patches to a greater degree now as initial thoughts were that the stunting was because the crop was sat in water.

Light leaf spot: none seen anywhere.

Weed control: Charlock and runch are the main issue as with the absence of any decent frost they are thriving.

North East: Crops at 8 leaf to stem extension. The continuing mild weather has resulted in rapid growth and buds are developing. A few lighter fields just able to travel and spray this week. Considering mild and forward crop, disease levels low, fungicides working well.

Phoma: still only at low levels.

Light leaf spot: seen in odd crop.

Weed control: Charlock needs controlling.

Forward wheat crops at GS 30

South East: With mild conditions of last month, crops continue to grow and in many cases have produced both new leaf and tillers. Most fields are too wet to travel.

Brown rust: pustules can be found in many September drilled wheats.

Yellow rust: evident in some non-seed dressed crops of Solstice and Gallant.

Weed control: Weed control from residuals and/or herbicide follow-ups is generally looking very good (high 90%) apart from the odd field with very challenging blackgrass.

Eastern Counties: Majority of crops are at the mid-tillering stage. Later sown wheats have germinated and are starting to push through thanks to the mild conditions.

Yellow rust: a few isolated yellow rust infections here and there. Varieties involved include Oakley, Solstice, Humber and Santiago.

Slugs: present after oilseed rape so keep checking backward fields for levels of potential damage.

Weed control: residual herbicides have worked well, in most cases.

East Midlands: Wheat not really moved much although some forward crops at early stem extension approaching GS 29 and some crops will need a split growth regulator. Some yellowing of crops due to wet and some later sown crops now suffering with low tiller numbers. Soils remain very wet with some ponding. Generally will be 1-2 weeks before any field work as long as no further heavy rain.

Yellow rust: low levels - generally isolated and localised as opposed to easily seen.

Septoria: found on older lower leaves but many of these now rotting with constant wet. Upper leaves predominantly clean.

Mildew: low levels.

Weed control: generally good control of black-grass but live plants can easily be found where resistance is known but even here some good control probably due more to pre ems than post ems.

West Midlands: Crops range from one extreme to the other with most forward crops with 6-7 tillers and far too thick to crops just emerging or at 1 -2 true leaf. The vast majority has at least 2-3 tillers.

Yellow rust: trace levels only.

Septoria: early sown crops carrying high levels.

Mildew: not an issue with just enough frosts to seemingly keep it at bay

Weed control: autumn weed control has been very good with the later sown/ploughed fields almost spotless bar the odd cleaver and wild oat.

North East: Crops continue to grow and majority now at GS 23. Field conditions are very wet.

Yellow rust: yet to find any.

Mildew: at low level in some forward crops.

Septoria: first infections seen in a few crops.

Weed control: Good control of weeds so far this year.

West Midlands: All well established with some manganese issues starting to appear but none critical at the moment, no brown rust found yet.

East Midlands: Suffering a bit from the wet and generally has not moved forward much ? if anything some crops have moved back a bit.

North East: Earliest sown now at six tiller stage. Low levels of net-blotch.