Early flowering in forward crops.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Most crops now entering early stem extension with green buds visible.

Phoma: crops will not need further fungicide input until the stem extension timing with triazole/PGR based approach.

Pigeons: still very problematic in thinner patches and more open crops - are still some very large flocks about. Pigeon deterrence proving a frustrating occupation.

South West: A few crops opening the first flowers although this is vary variable within the canopy. The flowering plants are in the drill rows and not in tramlines or drill misses so are unlikely to be Winner volunteers from four years ago. Most crops at buds extended.

Phoma: one or two new spots on larger older leaf but new growth very clean.

Pigeons: in certain areas are still defoliating large plants at green bud and will just not lay off.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that growth slow in current cold conditions. Crops vary greatly from site to site. Lighter soils and more fertile soils generally more forward. Growth still very uneven within fields. Most forward crops still in early stages of stem extension, but odd crop starting to flower. Wet last weekend, around 33 mm +. Showers so far this week, some hail. More rain expected. No field work on rape this week. Mindful that most fields have a percentage of very small backward plants, and do not want to spray too soon.

Phoma: crops sprayed twice completely clean and very green.

Light Leaf Spot: odd foci of infection but not widespread.

Pollen beetle: none seen and too cold.

Pigeons: continue to be a real nuisance.

East Midlands: Big variation in growth - some crops at mid stem extension and green bud whilst pigeon damaged crops at stem extension with little leaf. Odd crop is beginning to flower.

Phoma: new growth remains clear but on the other hand pigeons taking new growth in some crops anyway.

Club root: can be found but less where lime followed by boron, here galls can be found on some plants- no visual patches can be seen across crop which hopefully will withstand dry weather.

Pollen beetle: no pollen beetle seen yet - generally too cold for them at present.

Pigeons: still a nuisance.

West Midlands: Crops now visibly growing with most advanced at green to yellow bud with the very occassional flower. Some crops on light land looking rather spindly.

Phoma: some reinfection is now visible particularly on Lioness.

Light Leaf Spot: obvious signs being found in Astrid.

Pigeons: still devastating some crops.

North East: Despite the cold crops have grown surprisingly quickly and most now have ' buds proud'. Cold and wet, but fields OK for travelling.

Phoma: applied second application late Jan/early Feb.

Light Leaf Spot: none seen.

Pigeons: activity increasing, damage extensive, large flocks still gathering.

Crop of Einstein now at GS 30.
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South East: Peter Cowlrick reports that, earliest sown (September) crops are now entering early stem extension GS 29-30 (especially Solstice), with October sown Soissons now at GS30. Otherwise crops range between mid-tillering and GS 29. Around 1.5 inches of rain at beginning of week has made lower lying and heavier fields soft and wet again.

Brown rust: pustules present in all September/early October sown crops of Claire/Alchemy/Solstice and Cordiale where seed not treated with fuberidazole/triadimenol - levels remain much lower than time last year.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: pustules still present on most September sown crops of Solstice/Claire in sheltered areas and lusher canopies, but otherwise mostly browned by recent frosts.

Eyespot: stem based browning being noted in many first wheats, but looks like mostly sharp eyespot at this stage.

Weeds: blackgrass present in usual fields - in general most blackgrass ranges from early to mid-tillering reflecting later emergence and slower growth to date.

South West: Stephen Harrison reports a definite greening of the canopy over the past seven days. Signs of leaf 4 emergence in the occasional crop in sheltered mild areas which are now at GS 31. Later sowings are moving more slowly. Crops on heavier more waterlogged soils are responding well to Mn and Nitrogen as these soils start to dry a little (despite almost 36 hours rain on Saturday and Sunday). Riverside fields in the Frome and Avon valleys, were underwater. Floods have now receded, little permanent damage done. Looking on the bright side, that was how the Egyptians bought their fertiliser!

Brown rust: little change on last week and the forecast cold snap over the weekend should further curtail development.

Yellow rust: still none seen.

Septoria tritici: still only on older overwintered leaves however it is possible to find newer, fresh lesions with obvious pycnidia.

Mildew: levels remain low.

Eyespot: lesions still apparent, some are getting through the leaf sheath to the stem on very forward crops. Humber's good resistance rating appears to be holding up well.

Aphids: no aphids being found.

Weeds: autumn blackgrass control generally excellent with very few fields needing a spring overspray.

Eastern Counties: Majority of early sown wheats now at GS 30. Later sown at mid tillering, reports Brendon Butterworth. Very wet soil conditions after recent heavy rainfall.

Brown rust: low levels in Alchemy now disappeared following frost.

Yellow rust: trace levels.

Septoria tritici: main disease this year so far. Solstice, Gladiator, Consort all with quite high levels.

Mildew: now building again especially Claire and Solstice and notably following sugar beet

Take-all: starting to show in second and third wheats.

Wheat Bulb Fly: some dead-hearts especially following peas.

Gout Fly: symptoms of attack now being seen in some fields

Weeds: blackgrass variable stages of growth.

Eyespot: beginning to become apparent in some crops.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports forward wheat at GS 30 going on GS 31, most wheat at GS 30 and only more backward wheat at GS 29. Fieldwork possible but some wet areas after 25mm rain last weekend - some headlands wet and some wet patches in fields prevented any spraying.

Brown Rust: none seen even on Alchemy.

Yellow rust: none seen even on Robigus.

Mildew: odd inactive pustule seen but most crops very clean of mildew - cold weather will keep it in check.

Eyespot: browning of stems continues to be found with odd tillers killed off. Generally browning does not penetrate and is not considered to be dangerous yet but obviously a wet April could bring problems. A few earlier drilled second wheats with penetrating lesions.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that crops range from GS 13 -30. Einstein and Cordiale are the most forward. Field work, not a lot happened last 7 days due to high winds and wetter ground. Quite a lot of wheats will be at GS 30 by week commencing 31st March. 35mm of rain at the weeknd meant that Monday was a very wet start, the ground conditions didn't match the amount of rainfall which leads me to think (as we all probably knew) that the subsoil structure is very poor and as such could be a limiting factor to yields. Beter ground has been dry enough for spraying operations Tuesday and Wednesday.

Brown rust: looked at lots of Alchemy and none found to date.

Mildew: not active.

Eyespot: early sown Claire with very visible lesions.

Gout Fly: there does seem to be a distinct difference on fields where a clothianidin seed treatment has been used - with a lot less on these crops.

Weeds: wild oats, spring germinators coming through now. Groundsel is very obvious in some fields.

North East: Phillip Tuplin says despite low temperatures longer day length seems to be enough to stimulate crop development. A lot of crops now at GS 30, and many second wheat Cordiale and Gladiator also getting close. Its been a bad week for field work. Low temperatures, 20 mm of rain and windy.Some herbicide applied late last week, but there is a lot to go on now and have no choice but to make more complex tank-mixes including Manganese and pgr.

Brown Rust: still only finding low levels present on Alchemy and Nijinsky. Will apply T0 triazole but not until early April.

Yellow Rust: none seen, but it may be there and visible symptoms could appear soon.

Septoria tritici: high levels on older leaves of susceptible early sown varieties such as Nijinsky, but overall seeing average levels for this time of year. Will include a chlorothalonil product at T0.

Eyespot: high levels of stem browning easily found in second and continuous wheats.

Mildew: present at a low level in forward crops of Claire, but is actually less evident than it was in December.

Weeds: some late sown wheat has had no herbicide yet and has a range BLW plus annual meadow grass.

Wheat Bulb Fly: no 'dead-hearts' seen so far, and crops close to cut off for dimethoate approval.

Mildew controlled by recent frosts.
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South East: All crops range from GS29-30. First N+S applications already applied to all barley crops.

Brown rust: low levels can be found in most crops of Pearl/Sequel/Boost.

South West: Now responding to first N and fields starting to green up. Stem extension has not really started although first signs of an internode may be seen in the earliest crops. Disease levels remain low.

Eastern Counties: Crops at the 5 - 6 tiller stage.

Net blotch: evident in crops, especially second barleys.

Midlands: Generally GS 29+ - not a great deal of change. Crops beginning to green up as they pick up the earlier applied nitrogen. Disease levels remain low.

North East: Crops mostly fully tillered and at leaf sheath erect stage just prior to GS 30. Disease levels remain low.