Uneven flowering in
winter oilseed rape.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Most crops now at mid-flower, with up to 10-20 pods set on main raceme of most forward crops.

Sclerotinia: risk factors for sclerotinia infection are all present. Providing we don't get a sudden heat wave, many crops are likely to flower for another 2 weeks or so.

Seed weevil: first adults being found quite widely in some crops, but mainly on headlands.

South West: Crops now well into petal fall with many lodged on the stem and leaf axils forming ideal Sclerotinia infection points. Fungicide programmes should have contained this. Pod set is progressing well although a few crops have 4 or 5 corkscrew shaped pods on the main raceme.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide control applied.

Seed weevil: only occasional seed weevil detected.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that most advanced crops past full flower stage and well through petal fall with good pod set in warm dry weather. Latest crops still just coming into flower and yet to receive a sclerotinia spray. Reserving judgement on whether or not to treat some early drilled crops again. We are in a low risk area and although it has been mild it has been exceptionally dry during flowering so far. Due to the very dry conditions few of our spring rape crops have fully established yet. The seed is lying in dry soil except in lighter areas.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide applied.

Seed weevil: including pyrethroid in with fungicide as plenty of seed weevil activity on warm bright days.

East Midlands: All crops flowering with forward crops at 10+ pod stage.

Sclerotinia: Sclerotinia sprays now on and higher risk sites may well have a second spray - weather at moment dry and little petal stick. Crops coming into flower late may well only require one spray which has recently gone on.

Seed weevil: no signs yet.

West Midlands: Full flower on early crops with the backward or pigeon damaged crops just starting to flower. Crops are short this year.

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: Early sown crops at mid-flower now, and have set pods well so far. Later flowering crops have set pods very poorly so far, but situation with current flowers is looking better. Forward crops look fine, but the smaller, thinner crops need more rain to help them to compensate for their poor growth.

Sclerotinia: crops at high risk have been treated.

Flag leaf unfurling in
September sown Humber.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports flag leaf now up to 50% emerged on main shoots of early sown Solstice/Xi19. With the flag leaf already emerging in some crops, wheats have now caught up and are perhaps even slightly further advanced than usual! Final leaf 3 emergence (T1) applications all been completed on many wheat crops - exception is varieties such as Claire, Alchemy, Viscount and later sown Robigus which are having late T1 applications as tip of flag leaf emerges on main shoots to enable 3-spray straddle programme.

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

Brown rust: none found since T0 triazole applications made.

Yellow rust: none seen.

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.

South West: Stephen Harrison says that wheat is growing rapidly. Leaf 2 is fully emerged in September sowings although flag leaf tips are not yet visible. Heavy land crops drilled in bad conditions are still rather sparse with a lot of light getting through the canopy. This is allowing a late germination of fat hen, orache and redshank.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: now easily found in early drilled Humber. Infection seems worse than in Claire drilled at similar timing.

Septoria: new leaves clean although overwintered leaves still heavily infected.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports forward wheat have leaf 2 out or showing while later crops have leaf 3 out and leaf 2 tip. Soils relatively dry with some rain needed - crops where root development has been restricted need rain soon.

Mildew: levels remain very low.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: some later crops till have to have final leaf 3 emergence fungicides (T1) due to windy weather.

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.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that flag leaf emergence(T2) decisions starting on Mon 11th. Early sown Humber and Duxford have flag 1/3rd -1/2 way out Delayed T1 still being applied to some crops where leaf 3 will have been out a good week to 10 days. Drying winds have removed any moisture from recent rains.

Mildew: as bad as I have seen mildew, primarily Oakley with some Humber and Diego also. Will also have to treat some Alchemy and Battalion (did not think that would happen!).

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: trace levels in Oakley.

Septoria: sitting on the bottom leaves at the moment, I am sure it will move ever upwards particularly with the winds of the last week.

Eyespot: low levels visible on forward Duxford and Humber.

Weeds: late germinating wild oats and broad leafed weeds - a season where all sorts surviving earlier treatments or late germinating and not enough crop cover to smother out.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that early drilled now at GS 33, leaf 2 emerging, whilst later drilled crops are at GS 31. Topsoil dry and cracking. Fields travelling well. Slight scorch from liquid fertiliser especially on overlaps. Rain needed to wash fertiliser into the soil, signs of crop stress due to lack of rain, only 3mm of rain was recorded in April.

Mildew: 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 will get fungicide at T1.

Weeds: weed control with SUs slower than usual in the dry conditions.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports all now at least GS 32-33, and have leaf 2 emerging in some crops of Humber, Nijinsky and Robigus. A little more rainfall locally this week giving us 6 mm over 7 days. This is enough to help recently applied nitrogen into the ground so reducing losses to the atmosphere. It's also slightly better than nothing in terms of stimulating growth in some very dry heavy land fields.

Mildew: none seen.

Septoria: younger leaves are very clean, so disease levels appear very low now, but still high levels on older leaves.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: some areas of severe infection but controlled by T1 fungicdes.

Eyespot: the threat of severe damage has receded somewhat in the dry conditions.

Weeds: the recent rain could trigger a major germination of knotgrass in some fields.

South East: September sown crops of Boost/Cassata now at ears emerging, and later sown crops are around GS 37-49 - nearly put to bed for another year. With flag leaves/awns emerging in many crops now, thoughts turning to T2 awns emerged fungicide applications.

Mildew: crops clean.

Net blotch: crops clean.

Rhynchosporium: crops clean.

Brown rust: crops clean.

South West: virtually all winter barley has had it's final fungicides, we are enjoying the satisfying thud as the field gate swings shut on the sprayer.

Mildew: crops clean.

Rhynchosporium: crops clean.

Brown rust: crops clean.

Eastern Counties: Crops at early ear emergence. T2 fungicide now going on.

East Midlands: Awns now appearing and T2 fungicide to go on imminently.

Mildew: crops clean from T1 sprays.

Net blotch: none seen.

Rhynchosporium: none seen.

Brown rust: none seen.

West Midlands: Awns taking a long time to get to 100% emerged plus too windy to spray anyway, all Retriever and Carat now ready to go, with Saffron and Flagon probably beginning next week.

Mildew: trace levels.

Net blotch: trace levels only.

Rhynchosporium: trace levels only.

Brown rust: none seen.

North East: Ears just emerging in most crops. Carat is the most forward variety. Crops are taking up the later applied N now, but they are still significantly shorter than in most years.

Mildew: most crops have only a very low level.

Net blotch: crops clean now.

Rhynchosporium: crops clean now.

Brown rust: none seen.

:

South: crops now at 3-6 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.

East Midlands: Crops still attacked by weevil.

Downy mildew: odd plants seen with downy mildew so if weather turns damp infection could be imminent.