Septoria threatens (photo courtesy Farming Online).

South East: 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 about 25-50% emerged.

Brown Rust: generally only low levels detectable at present.

Yellow Rust: no active disease.

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.

Mildew: no active pustules seen to date.

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.

Eastern Counties: Crops are mainly at GS30/31 (some at 32) ready now for T1. Just mindful of the gap between T1 and T2, some holding back slightly even if crops are ready, to keep the gap between sprays less than 25 days at maximum. Second wheats will be ready next week. No signs of BYDV.

Brown Rust: trace levels.

Yellow Rust: only found where a T0 did not go on.

Septoria: recent hot dry weather seems to have taken some of the Septoria out of the picture.

Mildew: trace levels.

Eyespot: not significant.

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.

Brown Rust: none seen.

Yellow Rust: levels remain low.

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 this is not a problem.

Eyespot: dry conditions and breezes have kept crops very dry at bottom and eyespot is generally not a a problem but a few crops have lesions penetrating.

Weed control: cleaver control required.

West Midlands: 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.

Brown Rust: none seen.

Yellow Rust: low levels found in crop of Leeds this week.

Septoria: all 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.

North East: Crops range between GS 30-32. The most forward crops with leaf three out are now being treated with a T1 fungicide.

Brown Rust: none seen.

Yellow Rust: controlled by T0 fungicides.

Septoria: present in many crops.

Mildew: none seen.

Eyespot: developing in a few crops.

Weed control: Polygonum weeds, charlock, wild oats and other spring weeds starting to emerge.

Seed weevil beginning to move in (photo courtest Farming Online).

South East: 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.

Sclerotinia: with soil temperatures falling slightly to 8-9ºC this week, coupled with colder nights, conditions have been less conducive for 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.

Seed Weevil: difficult to find.

Light Leaf Spot: more light leaf spot seen recently, stem infection noted as well.

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.

East Midlands: All crops flowering with forward crops at 15 pods with later crops just starting pod formation.

Seed Weevil: sprayers applying Sclerotinia sprays show no weevil on front of machines.

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. Crops all look good and are worth looking after.

West Midlands: Virtually all crops are flowering with the most forward (mainly Cubic and Marathon) already 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.

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.

Phoma: trace levels.

Light Leaf Spot: under control now.

South East: Crops now generally at GS 32-37 - 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 nitrogen applications have all been completed.

Eastern Counties: GS 32. Low levels of net-blotch but some hefty amounts of Rhynchosporium in some crops.

West Midlands: GS 30- 31. Rhynchosporium and net-blotch present at low levels. Brown rust on Volume.

East Midlands: Crops at GS 30-31 and all had T1 this week. Crops look well.

North East: GS 30-32. Flag leaf emerging. Low levels of mildew, net-blotch and Rhynchosporium. Brown rust in Cassia.