Crops at last beginning to
pick up. Castille sown on 5 Sept.
photo Farming Online.

South East: Crops range from 2-7 true leaves - bulk of crops are now around 4-6 true leaves. Many late emerging rape plants are being killed by heavy downy mildew infections, particularly on cobblier seedbed areas.

Flea beetle: damage quite pronounced on late emerging plants. Extra pyrethoid is being factored in here.

Downy mildew: damaging levels on late emerging rape cotyledons - killing plants outright.

Phoma: symptoms now being found widely with many crops showing infection levels of around 5-10%, irrespective of supposed varietal resistance. Prioritise the smaller/backward crops and plants.

Aphids: none seen.

Slugs: good seedbeds and dry soils have minimised problems to date this autumn in most cases, only exceptions are heavier soils/trashier seedbeds where crops have been re-pelleted again following rain.

Weed Control: significant flush of blackgrass in a few fields, - in general though, emergence to date has been minimal in many fields.

South West: Gaps between large plants filling up with cotyledon to 1 leaf rape. Frost this morning (18 Oct) has knocked crop around. It looks like some of the poorest crops on heavy land in dry seedbeds will not make it and will probably be replaced with spring linseed to maintain rotations.

Flea beetle: damage quite pronounced on late emerging plants.

Phoma: none seen yet.

Aphids: can be found in many rape crops. Occasional colonies of mealy cabbage aphids.

Slugs: a lot of leaf grazing on larger plants, which these plants are well capable of withstanding.

Weed control: seems to be a high level of sowthistle emergence. All graminicides working well on volunteers.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that light land rape has progressed really well, eight true leaf stage and achieving ground cover. On heavier soil types 2 stages of emergence very evident still, smaller rape now at one true leaf stage. Populations look good but the small rape need to survive!

Downy mildew: rife in cotyledon oilseed rape - some plant death.

Phoma: first signs. Phoma levels increasing, anticipate threshold levels in some crops next week. Variable levels from location to location. Monitor carefully.

Slugs: fresh application of slug pellets needed on a few fields after heavy rain. High populations increasing after the recent rains becoming a major problem in some crops.

Weed control: some fresh blackgrass just emerging, one true-leaf stage but levels emerged still very low. Cranesbill and volunteer cereals emerging especially volunteer barley which is competing with crop where not sprayed. Lot of charlock and some runch emerging.

East Midlands: Forward crops at 4-6 leaves but many crops at 3-4 leaves with some at 2 leaves. Most fields have mix of forward plants and very late emerging plants.

Phoma: levels so far remain very low.

Flea beetle: now much less serious, especially after recent rain

Slugs: although some leaf grazing vast majority of crops now past any problems with thankfully only one field needing some re-drilling. Only very late emerging patches at 1 leaf may be at risk but crops should now grow away from any slug damage.

Weed control: volunteer wheat present in most crops, but is still largely not too competitive.

West Midlands: Most crops have now chitted with just enough rain to get them through. Most forward crops at 100% ground cover and up to 12 leaves. Rain guns and finally rain on Tuesday has sorted the oilseed rape out, "what amazes me", says Bryce Rham, "is how long the seed has sat there and is still able to germinate. Some areas of fields look as though they were sown just 7 days ago, let us hope for a mild autumn and that the pigeons can be kept off"! Some crops though have been written-off due to poor emergence.

Phoma: trace levels only.

Flea beetle: only slight damage seen so far.

Slugs: having to pellet some fields where emergence has been delayed and plant population low.

Weed control: graminicides finally working.

North East: Most forward up to 5 - 7 leaves now. Crops evened up well now but plants still very small in many crops.

Phoma: very little seen so far, except on one forward crop of Castille where still below 10 % infection but only just.

Slugs: since the rain expect to see slug activity increasing. High risk areas include some cloddy seedbeds on heavy land, where emergence is particularly slow.

Weed control: worst fields have significant germination of blackgrass now, which is at 1 - 2 leaves.

Slug damage in wheat after
oilseed rape - 17 Oct.
Photo Farming Online

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports that, all drilling of first wheats and second wheats now completed, apart from few fields after grain maize or lupins. Crops drilled 2-4 weeks ago now mostly in range between 1.5-3 leaves. Most advanced crops now just beginning to tiller.

Aphids: none seen

Slugs: very high populations of slugs still proving problematic on fields following oilseed rape, and particularly on heavier soils.

Weed control: blackgrass now flushing through in many fields where no pre-emergence herbicides applied and lower levels beginning to appear where herbicide applied pre or peri-emergence - hopefully weekly rain should result in high levels of residual control this year.

South West: Stephen Harrison, reports that crops are emerging rapidly although spell of cooler weather will slow things down a little. Early September drillings well established and pulling away from some annoying surface grazing by slugs. Heavy rain on Monday (15 Oct) curtailed operations but a day or so of drying should see drills back in action on freshly ploughed or cultivated land after maize or leys.

Aphids: still just winged migrants no secondary spread seen as yet.

Slugs: surface grazing in evidence on fields where no previous history and where seed drilled at depth in good seed beds.

Gout fly: a few gout fly eggs seen.

Weed control: possible to find 1 leaf blackgrass in mid September sowings.

Mildew: trace levels on early sown Claire.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports that, forward crops at GS 13-15 and later crops at GS 10-11. Many second wheat crops have only just gone in and not emerged yet. Heavy rain on night of 16th - from 25 to 37mm. Soils now very wet and field operations at a standstill.

Gout fly: no increase in gout fly eggs and later crops generally with low numbers (less than 20% plants).

Slugs: first signs of destroyed patches, but currently few and small. Worst following ploughing after oilseed rape. Damage generally is so far only slight as slug pellets have controlled slugs in high risk crops. Number of dead slugs shows high populations. Later crops being monitored, and where good soil cover around seed, risk will be as crops emerge.

Weed control: blackgrass now starting to emerge at 1-2 leaves. Generally good control from pre-emergence herbicides with many treated fields at low populations but dormancy may mean a flush is yet to come. Good flushes of cranesbill now showing, as well as volunteer rape and chickweed.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that, second wheats drilled in last 2-3 weeks are growing quickly, virtually everyone drilled up apart from after maize and potatoes. Half - one inch of rain on Tuesday will rectify a lot of problems on fields with patchy germination.

Wireworm: finding low levels after some long term setaside.

Aphids: none seen.

Frit fly: some damage after winter and spring oats.

Gout fly: gout fly eggs easily found on emerged crops. Later drilled wheats not showing signs of eggs as yet.

Slugs: quite a lot of grazing after oilseed rape. Worse on fields that were ploughed and later sowings.

Weed control: pre/peri emergence herbicides working well. Volunteer oilseed rape surviving some treatments but not concerned.

Eastern Counties: Helen Baxter, reporting from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, crops now emerging rapidly. Colin Allott, Essex, reports that, September drilled wheats now at 1-2 tillers stage, majority at 1-2 leaf stage. Current seed beds are good but recent rains have led to some surface water.

Aphids: populations building on early drilled crops.

Gout fly: gout fly eggs found on emerging crops.

Slugs: damage in virtually all fields albeit at low levels in most cases. Worse after ploughing where moisture lost more than with discing.

Weed control: blackgrass at 2-3 leaf stage. Lot of cotyledon cranesbill and shepherds needle now present.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports that, early sown at GS 11-12. Most crops emerging OK but many have areas slow to come through where heavier soil which was very dry when sown. Later sown just germinating. Virtually all crops drilled now. 24mm rainfall by late afternoon on 9 October. For most fields this is enough but some still need more to get moisture down to drilling depth to ensure good germination.

Aphids: low levels seen.

Gout fly: a few gout fly eggs seen.

Slugs: have become a major menace. Some crops have been badly damaged and re-drilling is being planned now mostly for patches but expect to see a few whole fields to do as well. A number of emerged crops have areas of severe grazing showing this week.

Weed control: where no pre-em applied seeing a lot of blackgrass emerging now.

South East: All crops range from just drilled to 2 leaves.

South West: Earliest crops at 2 leaves.

Eastern Counties: Early drillings emerged - remainder just at peri-emergence.

Midlands: Majority of crop now drilled and growing quickly most advanced at three leaf stage.

North East: Crops in range GS11-13. Crops emerging evenly.