Wheat crops beginning to flower (photo from Farming Online).

South East: Crops now mostly in range GS52-61 with all September/early October sown crops at ears emerging up to first anthers just showing. T3 fungicide applications underway or planned for next 7 days to coincide with anthesis to optimise efficacy against Fusarium spp. Last rain was 5 mm on Monday (total rain for May ranged between 65-80mm).

Brown Rust: new rust pustules re-activating on leaf 2 in some crops of Crusoe this week – a reminder not to drop the guard against brown rust with T3 applications.

Yellow Rust: no new infections noted.

Mildew: trace levels only.

Septoria: most T2 applications were timely, so hopefully these should prove successful at countering the Septoria threat from rain splash events in May.

Aphids: crops with significant BYDV patches also have aphids present (both grain and bird cherry) however in many cases natural predators appear to be containing populations for now, though some fields are approaching thresholds for spraying.

Wheat Blossom Midge: no adults have been seen or caught in pheromone traps to date, however, conditions look like turning favourable next week (ie. warm and showery).

Slugs: no new damage.

Weed control: blackgrass control shows quite a bit of field to field variation and overall control looks to be below expectation.

Eastern Counties: Earliest drilled crops of Gallant and more normal timed Cordiale have ears emerged. Most crops now have flag leaf fully extended and boots swelling and opening.

Brown Rust: low level on Crusoe.

Yellow Rust: trace levels still to be found on Solstice and Reflection.

Mildew: none seen.

Septoria: most crops have two and a half clean leaves minimum.

Eyespot: some lesions now showing in second or subsequent wheats. Not generally penetrating too far into the stem.

Aphids: patches of BYDV now showing.

Weed control: blackgrass evident in many crops. Seems to be worse control this season than last. Many crops will have seed return issues.

East Midlands: All crops have ears emerging with some crops of Gallant almost all out. Wet and windy conditions have stopped fieldwork, but a day's drying should get things going again.

Brown Rust: none seen.

Yellow Rust: turn your back for five minutes and it shows. Some seen on Skyfall and some at low levels in Gallant.

Mildew: some on base of some crops but very wet at bottom of crops and humidity will not help, but leaves of crops clear.

Septoria: T1 and T2 timely sprays have kept it under control and top leaves look clear in majority of crops although a few that had a stretched T0-T1 have some on their lower leaves, but generally top leaves are free of disease.

Eyespot: generally at low levels and not penetrating outer leaf sheaths.

Aphids: BYDV now showing more widely.

Slugs: plenty of slugs in lower parts of crops – not a good sign for autumn.

Weed control: brome has not died back as well as expected.

West Midlands: Vast majority of crops have ears emerging, most backward are full flag/early booting with the most forward with 75% of ears fully out (Crusoe, Skyfall and Grafton) but no anthers yet . Probably starting T3 from Monday 6th June. There are some very tidy crops out there but there is also plenty with BYDV, also very shallow roots which if we get a very dry spell are going to suffer.

Yellow Rust: Reflection - any missed areas are completely dead.

Mildew: started up again on crops of Leeds.

Septoria: in the main control is very good (suspect yet another cold April helped), with all crops with leaf 1-3 clean and most with leaf 4 clean (most I have seen is about 10-20% on leaf 4) some even with leaf 5 clean.

Aphids: BYDV just getting worse as we go on. Plenty of crops where no distinct patches but areas of purple leaf tips and suspect growth habits. Lots of parasitised aphids.

Slugs: plenty of activity after recent rains.

Weed control: blackgrass debacle continues with new farms being found with plants/patches, along with those where herbicide applied and product has bounced off.

North East: Crops range from flag leaf now fully out to early ear emergence. A good week for crop growth with sunshine and average temperature 12 Celsius. 10mm rain during the week.

Brown Rust: none seen.

Yellow Rust: good control from robust sprays being observed. However, where spray applications were late disease pressure is noticeable.

Mildew: low levels in variety Leeds.

Septoria: good control from fungicides observed. However, disease pressure is still present with lesions on final leaf 4.

Weed control: blackgrass is now flowering.

End of flowering for most crops (photo from Farming Online).

South East: Only the most backward/pigeon grazed crops are still flowering, with most other fields now between late flower to pods filling - looks like being a potentially late harvest this year. The next pass for this crop now will be pre-harvest desiccation.

Light Leaf Spot: effectively dried up by recent fungicide applications.

Eastern Counties: Many varied growth stages in fields. Most crops are virtually now off flower except in the most backward bits. Pod set variable, poor where pigeons grazed in the spring.

Light Leaf Spot: variable levels across different fields and varieties. Not bad but usually able to find a background level.

Sclerotinia: some growers have applied a second spray where flowering is protracted.

Aphids: none seen.

East Midlands: Flowering pretty well finished apart from a few late crops. All crops look well with good potential.

Aphids: One or two mealy aphid colonies reported but not to any extent and of no concern at present.

West Midlands: The vast majority of crops have now finished flowering.

Sclerotinia: sprays all on.

North East: Crops range form late flowering to end of flowering.

Sclerotinia: sprays all on.

South East: Most crops have now raced along to awns/ears emerging and T2 fungicide applications mostly completed – next pass should be the combine.

Eastern Counties: Ears emerged and flowering.

East Midlands: Flowering now at an end and grains entering watery ripe stage.

West Midlands: Most crops now with ears emerging. Clean from top to bottom, pity about the BYDV.

North East: Earliest crops are now flowering.