Castille at early flowering.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: All crops now at early to mid-flower, with up to 10 pods set on main raceme of most forward crops.

Sclerotinia: with wetter soils, increasing soil temperatures and crops now flowering risk factors for sclerotial germination are all increasing.

Seed weevil: first adults being found in last few days, mainly on headlands.

South West: Crops now all in full flower and first Sclerotinia sprays now applied. Weather factors will dictate if a second spray is required.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide control applied.

Seed weevil: only occasional seed weevil detected.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that most crops have received a Sclerotinia flowering spray, backward crops or those which had a very late green bud spray now receiving their spray. Only a few showers 2mm at a time. Everywhere is still very dry.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide applied.

Seed weevil: plenty of seed weevil activity on warm bright days.

East Midlands: Most crops now flowering but this varies from some crops in full flower to crops just starting - this also occurs in the same field in some cases which will cause the usual harvest problems of delayed ripening in parts of fields.

Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays have gone on flowering crops and about to go on later flowering crops as weather allows.

Seed weevil: no signs yet.

West Midlands: Full flower on early crops with the laggards just starting to flower and perhaps just about getting up to my waist!

Sclerotinia: early crops all sprayed at the end of last week due to the sclerotia germination reaching 20% at observation stations (5 days ahead of last year) remaining crops will be sprayed end of this week up mid next week.

Seed weevil: no signs yet.

North East: All early sown crops at mid-flower and are setting pods well. Later sown crops are at yellow bud to early flower and pod set appears less uniform with some crops showing very poor pod set. Later sown crops are not taking up nitrogen in the dry conditions and are suffering very badly now.

Sclerotinia: crops at high risk have been treated.

Final leaf 3 unfurling in
September sown Duxford.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports September and early October sown crops now at GS 32-33 (particularly where basal fertility is high) with Leaf 2 now 50-75% emerged - can find tip of flag-leaf showing now in mid-September sown Viscount. Late October/early November sown crops are now typically at GS31-32 with leaf 3 emerging/emerged and leaf 2 beginning to emerge. Soissons now has flag-leaf up to 50% emerged from these sowing dates.

Brown rust: none being found since T0 triazole applications made.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: active pustules can be found readily now in any spray misses/crops not yet treated with specific mildewicide.

Septoria: lesions can now be found on tip leaf 4 of early sown Solstice/Viscount despite T0 applications.

Eyespot: damp soils and current mild and dewy weather is increasing infection pressure.

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

South West: Stephen Harrison says Leaf 3 is emerged or just emerging in almost all situations except for February drillings which are just hitting GS 30. Wheats drilled in early December have now grown away strongly and are not far behind late October ones although leaf 3 emergence here will be the first week in May. Early to mid September crops have the tip of leaf 2 emerging. Varietal differences in growth stage are concertinaing together. Humber remains the most advanced. We are seeing up to 5% leaf trapping and subsequent leaf distortion where herbicide was used in early March. This is not universal but seems worse on lighter soils. It may be a night/day temperature range effect as these soils warm and cool quickly. Leaf 5 has been held back by leaf 6 which is now dead. In some cases leaf 5 has grown through the middle of leaf 6. Leaf 5 has distortion or corkscrewing. Subsequent leaves are healthy.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: still largely confined to Humber and Claire. A little stem base mildew now present in Oakley.

Septoria: becoming less obvious as new leaves start to dominate the canopy.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports forward crops now have leaf 2 emerging and have had final leaf 3 emergence fungicide (T1) - later crops have leaf 3 just emerging and will have T1 imminently. Rainfall has only amounted to 8 mm so has had no adverse effects on travelling etc - soils dry on top.

Mildew: levels remain very low.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: top leaves remain clear with Septoria only on older overwintered leaves.

Eyespot: most crops clear but Einstein continues to show low levels of eyespot.

Weeds: dry weather followed by some rain has meant a surge in new weed emergence in some crops.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that leaf 3 emerged on many crops with leaf 2 poking through on earliest. Final leaf 3 emergence (T1) sprays started week commencing 20th with approximately 60% completed by end of last week, remainder being applied this week. Finally had a good soaking soils now wetted well but travelling fine.

Mildew: variable levels on Humber, Oakley and Solstice.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: trace levels in Oakley.

Septoria: moving on to newer growth due to winds and very damp mornings.

Eyespot: low levels visible on forward Duxford and Humber.

Weeds: cleavers coming back.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that early drilled now at GS 32, leaf 3 emerging, whilst later drilled crops are at GS 31. Topsoil dry and cracking. Fields travelling well.

Mildew: now at high levels on late wheats after roots. Some pustules found on Solstice/Claire/ Humber.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: foci seen in Robigus.

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

Eyespot: treatable levels in many early drilled crops.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports most crops in range GS 31-32, but some early sown Humber has leaf 2 just emerging. Despite a favourable weather forecast the drought continues with only 1mm rainfall this week giving a total of 4mm for April.

Mildew: none seen.

Septoria: the younger leaves are very clean, so disease levels appear very low now.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: traces appearing in some crops of Oakley.

Eyespot: the threat of severe damage has receded somewhat in the dry conditions, but a good level of control should be achieved from the planned final leaf 3 emergence (T1) treatments.

Blackgrass: disappointingly a few more areas of poor control can be identified now.

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South East: September sown crops of Boost/Cassata now at awns emerging, and later sown crops are around GS 32-37.

Mildew: fresh pustules now present on lower leaves of Sequel/Cassata.

Net blotch: restricted to lower canopy by final leaf 3 emergence (T1) fungicides.

Rhynchosporium: restricted to lower canopy by T1 fungicides.

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

South West: Early crops on sheltered sites now have awns showing. Final fungicides about to be applied.

Mildew: low levels only.

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 now booting. T1 fungicide now applied.

East Midlands: Many crops now have flag leaf appearing and expect awns to be showing next week. Some barley crops have thickened up really quickly in the last couple of weeks.

Mildew: crops clean from T1 sprays.

Net blotch: none seen.

Rhynchosporium: none seen.

Brown rust: none seen.

West Midlands: Retriever and Carat popping awns out. Flagon and Saffron still only at flag leaf just emerging.

Mildew: visible on high fertility soils variety Saffron.

Net blotch: trace levels only.

Rhynchosporium: trace levels only.

Brown rust: none seen.

North East: Awns emerging in crops of Carat. Saffron and Retriever have full flag leaf emergence, and for most of the 6-rows flag leaf 50% emerged.

Mildew: most crops have only a very low level.

Net blotch: crops clean now.

Rhynchosporium: crops clean now.

Brown rust: none seen.

: In the South crops now at 2-6 leaf pair stage, with any late-emerging plants filling-in gaps on cloddier seedbeds.

Downy mildew: first lesions showing now in crops where only 4 years since last bean crop.