Uneven flowering in
winter oilseed rape.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Earlier crops now at late-flower, with 20 pods+ set on main raceme, while more backward crops at full flower - nearly at point where crops can be left to await pre-harvest desiccant.

Sclerotinia: follow up sprays being/been applied at mid-late flower at around 2-3 weeks after early flower fungicides.

South West: Only a few petals remaining on many crops. Canopies standing up and podding well. Disease concerns now turn to Alternaria if threatened wet weather kicks in.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide control applied.

Seed weevil: only occasional seed weevil detected.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that most advanced crops towards end of petal fall. The well established crops have filled out and produced lots of pods. Latest crops now in full flower.The warm dry weather has suited the winter rape.

Sclerotinia: have treated very few crops for the second time with a fungicide targeted at Sclerotinia although it is now 3 weeks since the first application it has been so very dry in Norfolk.

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

East Midlands: Big variability with some crops at late flowering and others at early flowering - variability within field will cause ripening headaches at harvest, but in spite of all the problems a lot of crops look well.

Sclerotinia: forward high risk crops planned to get second Sclerotinia spray this week but as always weather has the last word! Later crops have had first spray on 2 weeks ago so will be up for appraisal next week - a week when silage making, barley sprays, linseed herbicides, T2 sprays etc come all together so remains to be seen which get precedence!

Seed weevil: numbers remain well below threshold but windy weather has made assessments difficult.

West Midlands: Most forward crops are just starting to turn from full flower to end of flowering, late crops now at mid to full flower with these crops just receiving Sclerotinia spray weather permitting.

Sclerotinia: crops sprayed 3 weeks ago do we need to go again? Particularly if we get heavy rain over the next 2-3 days and air temps increase.

Seed weevil: no signs yet.

North East: Most forward crops are at late flowering now. Majority of crops at mid-flower, and still have a few at yellow bud. Too dry for the small backward crops. Forward crops look fine and have set pods well.

Sclerotinia: fungicide was applied at early petal fall, and follow up applied 21-28 days after the first application.

Yellow rust in Oakley.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports flag leaf now fully emerged on main shoots of early sown Solstice/Xi19 and ears emerging in October sown Xi19. Full flag leaf emergence (T2) applications now underway in many crops - aiming to keep spray intervals at around 18-21 days in more Septoria prone varieties (ie. Solstice/Cordiale).

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 and leaf 3 of September sown Solstice/Viscount (Septoria resistance of September drilled Viscount is not a patch on Alchemys) in particular despite well-timed T0 and T1 applications. T2 applications need to be robust enough to keep Septoria from infecting top 3 leaves, particularly as forecast heavy rain likely to splash Septoria up canopy.

Eyespot: T1 applications have stopped disease progression/penetration of stems.

South West: Stephen Harrison says that most wheat has the tip of the flag leaf visible. Early sowings of Humber have flag leaf fully emerged and a few main tillers are booting. Sustained NE winds have played havoc with spray timings as well as seriously drying ground out. We really need the forecast heavy rain. Crops are generally short. Flag leaf PGRs only in use on forward tall varieties, especially early drilled Alchemy and Oakley. Heavy land late sowings have now taken up nitrogen and grown away from a lot of the earlier reported problems although I feel yield potential will be reduced.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: one instance in late sown Oakley on the Cotswolds which had no T0 and a late T1. Elsewhere triazole based T0s and usual T1s have contained the disease.

Mildew: now appearing in Gatsby.

Septoria: top 4 leaves are disease free, concern is now to get T2s on before it is too late to eradicate latent infection on leaf 2. We will be starting as soon as the weather allows.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports forward crops have flag 50% out with later crops and second wheat at leaf 2 to flag tip showing. Dry weather has shortened many crops and very few crops will need a second growth regulator this year. Top soils remain very dry with some heavier soil cracking to 6-9 inches. Top roots of wheat in relatively dry soil.

Mildew: crops clear on top 4-5 leaves but mildew can be found at the base of Solstice and Cordiale in particular, but remaining clean on the top leaves.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: plenty at the bottom of crops but top 4 leaves remain clear, pressure will build with unsettled weather continuing and T1 sprays applied some 3 weeks ago on more forward crops. Additional triazole will be added if sprays delayed due to weather.

Eyespot: levels low with T1 fungicides and weather combating eyespot.

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

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that crops at GS 32-37. Wheat crops have come to a bit of a standstill this last week due partly to being extremely dry but also turning colder again. Humber and Einstein have continued to move relatively swiftly onwards with the early crops getting T2 spray on Sunday 10th May. Remaining crops are just about ready but weather still hampering applications. Last of T1s applied 14 May. High winds have dried soils out again. Light land crops on the verge of dying.

Mildew: more and more crops showing signs of mildew in the base of the crop and not convinced that it will not make its way upwards particularly with a lot of late N being applied.

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 leaved 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 growth stage 37, flag leaf tip showing, but majority at GS 3.3. Later drilled crops at GS 3.1. Topsoil dry and cracking. 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: some pustules found on Solstice/Claire/ Humber although some dried up. Late wheats after roots have high levels of mildew.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: foci seen in Robigus, especially where T0 were delayed.

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

Eyespot: treatable levels in many early drilled crops.

Blackgrass: majority of late sprayed dying, but some remains in odd fields. Odd 2-3 leaf blackgrass appearing from cracks in heavy soil.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports flag leaf 75% emerged in early sown Humber, Nijinsky and Cordiale. Rest of wheats tip of flag leaf just visible. Very dry - only 2mm rainfall in last 7 days. First wheats not showing obvious drought stress yet, but many second and continuous wheats look in dire need of some serious rain.

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: Oakley breaking down was a surprise and a triazole was not included at T0. Patches of infection appeared as the T1 was being applied, and this has given excellent control. A few crops with particularly severe areas of infection have had a further triazole application.

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

Runch: despite the dry conditions have significant emergence in some crops.

South East: September sown crops of Boost/Cassata now at ears emerged, and later sown crops are at awns emerging - mostly put to bed now until combines roll.

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

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

East Midlands: Awns emerging - T2 sprays delayed due to windy weather.

West Midlands: Some crops now starting to flower but still quite a few crops hanging on in there and refusing to go for 100% awn emergence.

North East: Most 2-row varieties have ears fully emerged and are at early anthesis; Carat and Retriever are the most forward. The 6-rows are later but awns are visible now and expect full ear emergence over next 7 days.

South: Crops now at 4 -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.

Eastern Counties: Majority at 4 leaf stage and early drilled at flower bud stage, some signs of pea and bean weevil.

Downy mildew: has been seen in the variety Fuego at treatable levels.

Weeds: Post-emergence contact herbicide has and will be applied to crops that did not receive pre-ems or have high populations of susceptible weeds.

Midlands: Crops range from 3 -4 leaf pair with earliest just showing flower buds.