First flowers appearing on Castille.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: All crops beginning to extend rapidly now in response to recent milder weather and applied N, with some crops now showing a proportion of flowers visible.

Light leaf spot: still only finding very isolated occurrence.

Sclerotinia: with soil temperatures still around 8 deg. C, conditions are generally still too cool for germination of sclerotia - however as crops move towards early flowering, canopies are thickening up providing potentially ideal microclimate for disease development, particularly as showery conditions are forecast for next 10 days or so.

Pollen beetle: adult beetles common again now in many crops and more backward/grazed crops are approaching thresholds for control (5/plant).

South West: Crops now progressing into early flowering with extreme variation across fields the dominant concern. This will make Sclerotinia timings very difficult. Crops on one year breaks are likely to be exposed to high levels of sclerotia in the soil following the high pressure in 2007.

Light leaf spot: no further sightings.

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

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports most forward crops coming into flower. A few crops on light soils look short of N and are running to flower with spindly plants with little leaf. Backward crops are only at the very start of stem extension and plants are very small with flower buds just showing. Again canopy size is small, with individual leaf size small. Some patchy pale growth on some light land fields boron and Mn or Mg in places being applied as foliar sprays. Some more crops have been condemned early this week before the second N application. They will go into spring rape although some areas of fields will be left as a green manure crop with no more N applied.

Phoma: no further infection seen.

Light leaf spot: spread seems to have slowed down.

Pollen beetle: activity has increased.

East Midlands: Forward crops at yellow bud but noticeable that many crops have a main stem in bud but with very few/late side shoots.

Light leaf spot: levels low - one farm to treat as levels quite high but majority not a problem.

Pollen beetle: levels vary with some crops at 2/plant but others at 5-7/plant. Where backward and few side shoots getting insecticide - noticeable on some small side shoots damage even where populations look low - 1 beetle in a small sideshoot can cause a lot of damage.

West Midlands: Most forward crops are now starting to flower with some crops taking on a yellow haze, but still have backward crops which are very slow to get moving.

Light leaf spot: trace levels in some crops.

Pollen beetle: still only at low levels.

Pigeons: still grazing some crops.

North East: Most forward crops coming into flower now, notably Castille. Catana drilled at same time is just 'yellow bud'. Still have the backward crops which now have buds visible. Backward crops are suffering very badly in the dry conditions.

Light leaf spot: still obvious lesions on the leaves of many crops.

Pollen beetle: only low numbers seen so far.

Clean stem bases on
September sown Humber.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports that tip of final leaf 3 seen today (8 April) on early October sown Einstein. T0 spraying well underway now on more forward crops, otherwise more backward/later sown crops will have either late T0 or early T1 in 10-14+ days time as start of 3-spray 'Straddle' programme - around 50% crops are likely to fall into this category. All crops are now greening in response to N applications. First useful rain for four weeks this week (around 7mm) much needed - hopefully with more forecast crops will now leap into action.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: few pustules present but most crops remain completely free of infection.

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

Cleavers: present mainly in fields after beans oilseed rape this year.

South West: Stephen Harrison says growth has speeded up this week with the majority of crops sown before mid October into good seed beds rapidly approaching or at GS 30. Crops on capped heavy land still struggle and look gappy and stark. Their poorer rooting systems are struggling to take up sufficient N from the dry soil surface layer. Rain splash event later this week will trigger off development of the Septoria epidemic. T1's will need to be well timed and robust.

Brown rust: none seen.

Mildew: now apparent in Claire and Humber. Humber seems worse but this is due to site and drilling date rather than a breakdown in the variety.

Septoria: more evidence of Septoria with fresh pycnidia apparent.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

Polygnums: rapidly emerging through cracks on stronger land. In some areas there is a carpet.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports crops showing steady progress as roots develop and forage for N. Forward crops at GS 30/31 with majority at GS 30 or nearly there. Later drilled after maize at GS 29. Soil conditions remain good if not a bit too dry. Not a lot of rain so far but hopefully enough to get nitrogen into ground.

Mildew: very low levels.

Septoria: still found on older leaves but new growth just appearing will be kept clean with chlorothalonil on forward crops, especially Solstice.

Eyespot: still being found on second wheat Solstice in some cases plants have only 3 tillers with 1 showing eyespot so every tiller needs looking after.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that rain at last is helping crop growth. Most forward crops at GS 30. Land has dried out and cracks appearing in some fields.

Mildew: visible on Solstice and some early sown Humber.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: visible on lower leaves only.

Eyespot: trace levels on some forward crops.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that early drilled at GS 28 - 30 with odd crop at GS31. Later drilled crops at GS 21. Subsoil slowly beginning to dry out.

Mildew: late wheats after roots showing signs of mildew.

Brown rust: trace levels only.

Yellow rust: none seen.

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

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

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports that most forward crops now have main stems at GS 31, and virtually all later crops at GS 30. The late sown crops on heavy soils are suffering very badly now, and need a significant rainfall to maintain the few tillers some of them have.

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.

Yellow rust: none seen locally but has been reported further south in Robigus, where it is a serious threat.

Eyespot: a significant level of distinctive eyespot lesions is easy to find in most crops of first and continuous wheats.

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

South East: Tip of leaf 3 emerging now on Boost sown late September otherwise Sequel and Cassata still only have leaf 4 emerging at present.

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 responded well to N and is starting to form a lush leafy canopy. Earliest sowings on lighter land are now at GS30. T1 fungicides will be applied later next week.

Mildew: 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: Forward crops approaching GS 30+ - many at GS 29-30.

Mildew: low levels only.

Net blotch: trace on some crops.

Rhynchosporium: traces on susceptible varieties.

Brown rust: none seen.

West Midlands: Crops with good ground cover are growing well and will reach T1 end this week. Bulk of the crops will not be ready until end of next week dependant upon the weather.

Mildew: visible on high fertility soils variety Saffron.

Net blotch: trace levels only.

Rhynchosporium: trace levels only.

Brown rust: none seen.

North East: Most crops growing strongly now, and at GS 31.

Mildew: most crops have only a very low level.

Net blotch: low levels only.

Rhynchosporium: low levels only.

Brown rust: none seen.

: Now just starting to emerge - weevil will have to be watched carefully with the late emergence of crops.

: Early sown crops growing well.