Green buds above the crop.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Varietal vigour is certainly showing its hand markedly this year, with ES Alienor by far the most vigorous variety on most farms across a range of sowing dates, with Astrid and Ovation being at the other end of the vigour scale.

Light leaf spot: still only finding fairly isolated occurrence.

Pollen beetle: beginning to see adult beetles now in many crops following several days with temperatures above 15 deg. C and in one or two approaching thresholds for control - looks being potentially a difficult spring for pollen beetle control unless weather turns much colder again soon.

South West: Green buds now raised above the canopy in many crops with the occasional yellow bud visible. Later sowings are now starting to cover the ground and produce an internode.

Phoma: no further reinfection seen.

Light leaf spot: can be detected on new leaves in a few crops.

Pollen beetle: on thin late crops be especially vigilant for pollen beetle as the temperature rises.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that there is a tremendous range in growth stage and leaf area between crops! The best look like good 'normal' crops for mid March, they are moving rapidly through stem extension and are at the green bud proud stage, the most advanced are 50 cm tall+. At the other end of the scale the very late drilled crops are still struggling to get going and we are beginning to wonder whether we should have ripped up more fields. The plants are struggling to make a decent size and several seem to be showing distorted growth with some strap like leaves. We may decide to call a halt on further inputs to a few fields and treat them as a green manure crop. Varieties differ in growth Es Astrid is very slow to move into stem extension.

Phoma: no further infection seen.

Light leaf spot: levels are increasing on the more leafy forward crops and are soon to be sprayed.

Pollen beetle: activity is low in recent colder, windy, showery conditions.

East Midlands: Crops very variable - 4 leaves to flower buds, but some crops seriously pigeon damaged. Benefits of early autumn N application obvious.

Light leaf spot: 20-30% on one 'hearty' crop which was not autumn sprayed. Few other crops and varieties affected.

Weeds: much more mayweeds (+ thistles and groundsel ) than usual on many fields - mainly min-tilled crops.

West Midlands: Most forward crops are now at stem extension.

Light leaf spot: trace levels in some crops.

Pollen beetle: just starting to come into some crops. Cooler weather keeping them at bay but backward areas and pigeon/rabbit damaged areas will need watching.

Pigeons: still grazing some crops.

North East: The battle with pigeons continues for many farmers, but for most the crops are growing strongly now with the most forward at 'buds proud'. Smaller crops still have 'buds enclosed' but they are picking up nitrogen and sulphur now, and look better every day. Very good field conditions for most forward crops, but it is drying out too much for some of the smaller ones where say 10-15mm rainfall would help. Forward crops receiving growth regulator fungicide and a trace element mix over next few days.

Light leaf spot: no further infections seen.

Pigeons: still a major problem in some crops.

Septoria on October sown
JB Diego.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports that October emerged crops now all late tillering (GS 24-<29) and mostly beginning to extend slightly, while November sown wheat is now mid-tillering GS 22-24+. Earliest sown (September) and most advanced crops are now at early stem extension (GS 29-30). Tip of leaf 4 is now around 25-30% emerged on most advanced crops. 15+ days without rain and warm sunny days has dried wetter fields out well - all fields now travelling well and could really do with 0.5 inch of warm rain now to really kickstart spring growth.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: few pustules present on drill overlaps and sheltered areas fields in September sown crops of Solstice/Claire and Cordiale - but to date most canopies remain completely free of infection.

Septoria: present on older leaves of all September/early October wheats.

Eyespot: very low levels found to date - recent warm dry conditions have prevented rather than encouraged symptoms.

South West: Stephen Harrison says dry days and cold nights have put a brake on wheat growth and forward crops are starting to look a little 'blue'. Still no signs of extensive stem extension although early drilled crops in sheltered have the odd main tiller just about at 30. Cool temperatures and very low disease pressure means we are in no rush to apply T0 treatments.

Brown rust: none seen.

Mildew: still apparent on susceptible varieties but inactive.

Septoria: more evidence of Septoria with fresh picnidia apparent.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

Wild Oats: early flushes of are now visible and as soil warms and nitrogen mineralises more will show up.

East Midlands: Malcolm Harrison reports crops range between GS 16-30. Good conditions for all field work, but windy weather with heavy showers curtailing spraying and spreading.

Mildew: trace levels.

Septoria: plenty of Septoria on lower leaves.

Eyespot: still some stem browning at low levels and with the dry weather and open crops stems are drying out.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that crops now growing well but too cold for T0. Land has dried out and cracks appearing in some fields. Heavier land is still wet in places.

Mildew: visible on Solstice and some early sown Humber.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: visible on lower leaves only.

Eyespot: none seen.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that early drilled at Growth stage 2.5-2.6, mid tillering with the odd field at GS 3.0, later drilled crops 1.3-2.1. Subsoil still wet, top 3 inches friable. Soil is drying. Fields travelling well some headlands still wet especially after sugar beet.

Brown rust: traces levels only.

Mildew: some pustules found on Solstice/Claire/Humber. Although some dried up.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: levels beginning to build on crops of Consort, Gladiator and Viscount.

Eyespot: low levels expecting to treat at T1, mainly early drilled crops.

Wheat bulb fly: some signs of dead-heart, none sprayed pre egg hatch. Monitor backward crops after peas, early potatoes and set aside.

Gout fly: damage present in early drilled crops that did not receive an insecticide in the autumn.

Groundsel: in a lot of fields especially where isoproturon hasn't been used.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports that Some early sown Humber, Nijinsky and Robigus have main stems at GS31. Later sown crops either at GS 30, or at least fully tillered. We are just about to start with our T0 applications in the forward wheats. Only 5mm rainfall over last 7 days, and with strong drying winds it has had no effect on field conditions , which are dry. Some of the later sown thinner crops would benefit from some rainfall to improve conditions for nitrogen and phosphate uptake as some of these went into poor seedbeds, which have gone very solid now.

Mildew: low level on older leaves on some early sown Humber.

Septoria: highest levels seen in some first wheat Nijinsky, but lesions present in virtually all crops particularly on older leaves.

Brown rust: none seen, and don't expect it to be a problem early season following the cold winter.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Eyespot: becoming more obvious in the early sown crops now.

Wheat bulb fly: no dead-hearts seen, and all crops after peas are well tillered now.

Blackgrass: there are only a few fields still to be sprayed when weather settles down again.

South East: All crops range from GS 24-29 - like wheat crops winter barley growth is very slow, but at least most crops appear to be tillering quite well to compensate for in many cases thinner than ideal canopies.

Mildew: generally low levels being found on older leaves and mainly in crops of Cassata.

Net blotch: moderate levels can be found in earlier sown crops Sequel and Boost.

Rhynchosporium: very low levels currently being found.

Brown rust: low levels can now be found in earlier (end Sept/early October) sown crops.

South West: Winter barley has hardly moved in the last week and in some cases actually looks worse as N uptake is very slow.

Mildew: severe in Cassata, easily found in forward Suzuka.

Rhynchosporium: low levels currently being found.

Brown rust: low levels can now be found in earlier (end Sept/early October) sown crops.

Eastern Counties: Crops range from end of tillering to early stem extension and now picking up after N applications.

Mildew: low levels only.

Net blotch: developing on Carat, Cassata and Pearl but mainly old leaves.

Rhynchosporium: traces on susceptible varieties Carat and Haka.

Brown rust: trace levels.

East Midlands: Crops moving towards GS 30.

Mildew: new infections but at low levels only.

Net blotch: developing on some crops.

Rhynchosporium: traces on susceptible varieties.

Brown rust: none seen.

West Midlands: Crops have come to a bit of a grinding holt due to the dry and cold weather.

Mildew: visible on high fertility soils variety Saffron applying cyprodinil fungicide.

Weeds: applying herbicide for wild oats and ryegrass.

North East: After a period of slow growth during early March, crops are changing quickly now and a few at GS31.

Net blotch: low levels only.

Mildew: most crops have only a very low level, but on one farm have a severe infection in some crops of Marado in fields that had pig slurry last autumn.

Rhynchosporium: low levels only.

Brown rust: none seen.

: Drilling should be completed this week in the south. In the Midlands crops are just starting to chit and should be through in next week or so in some cases.

South East: Earliest sown crops now at 1 - 2 leaf stage and all crops now sown.

South West: Earliest drilled spring barley is now emerging.

Eastern Counties: Being drilled where conditions allow, seedbeds generally good.