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Report: 22 May 2009 (for week beginning 18 May 2009)

Report compiled by Farming Online from reports received from members of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants

Welcome rain: even if it has led to delays in full flag leaf emergence (T2) fungicide applications. Forecast for better weather should allow everyone to catch up.

Winter wheat: keep an eye out for yellow rust in Robigus, Oakley and Solstice. If flag leaf sprays are delayed beyond 21 days since last fungicide consider increasing triazole rate.

Wheat orange blossom midge new guidelines for traps: "The difference in the guidelines is that the threshold for monitoring has been revised into a two-tiered system based on pheromone trap catches," said Jemilah Bailey, HGCA's Research Manager. "Catches over 120 per day mean a high risk to crops and growers need to spray crops at susceptible growth stage as soon as possible. If 30 or more midges are caught in a day then there is a general risk to crops and numbers need to be monitored." The action threshold for assessing wheat ears in the field remains the same with over one midge on three ears of feed wheat, or six ears of milling crops resulting in the need to treat the field. Traps should be put in place a few days before the earliest wheat crops reach the ear emergence stage and kept in place until the latest crops reach the flowering stage.

Highlights

Winter Oilseed Rape
  • Crops coming to end of flowering.
  • Seed weevil numbers remain low.
  • Decision to spray for Sclerotnia in late flowering crops.
Winter Wheat
  • Ear emergence in earliest crops.
  • Full flag leaf emergence (T2) catch up.
  • Septoria risk high.
  • Late emergence of weeds.
  • Yellow rust risk increases with change in weather.
  • Check growth stage for late PGRs.
Winter Barley
  • Ear emergence.
  • Disease levels low.
Spring Beans
  • First crops at six leaf stage.
  • Downy mildew in South and East.
Cross compliance
  • Make sure that 2m headlands are maintained where necessary.
  • 10 deg.C and rising.

Winter Oilseed Rape

image from FoL

Good pod set in early rape.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Earlier crops now mostly finished flowering with seeds in pods being at pale green/translucent stage, while more backward crops are at full flower - nearly at point where most 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.

Seed weevil: only a handful of crops have hit thresholds, but later flowering crops may be at higher risk of damage.

South West: Only a few petals remaining on many crops. Canopies standing up and podding well.

Sclerotinia: first fungicide control applied.

Seed weevil: only occasional seed weevil detected.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports that the most advanced crops have completely finished flowering with excellent pod set. The backward crops are now in full flower, including the pigeon hammered areas. There is going to be a great range in harvest dates across individual farms and even areas of fields may be best sprayed off at different dates. There will need to be some carefull scheduling at dessication time. At last some rainfall with the areas I work in receiving 25-35 mm at the end of last week and over the weekend with more scattered heavy showers this week. Spray days have been hard to find due mainly to the windy conditions.

Sclerotinia: crops slower to come into flower will receive fungicide mid-flower (as best as we can estimate across some very uneven fields). It may be possible to treat distinct areas of some fields at different timings.

East Midlands: Forward crops moving towards end of flowering but lot of crops still with some flowering to go. Forward crops with 20+ pods and despite autumn and winter problems some very good crops about.

Sclerotinia: risk potentially increasing again on high risk sites. Crops that will be flowering for some time yet to get second sclerotinia spray (some on this week) and with potential harvest prices of £300 with oil bonuses then good crops worth looking after.

Seed weevil: numbers remain well below threshold.

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: late flowering crops may need treating.

Seed weevil: no signs yet.

North East: Castille 90% flowered now. Other varieties still with significant flower. Most backward crops only at yellow bud, and still being attacked by pigeons.

Sclerotinia: second Sclerotinia spray completed on most crops now, but still a few not had the first one yet.

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Winter Wheat

image from FoL

Yellow rust in Oakley.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports ears now widely emerging on main shoots of Solstice/Xi19/Cordiale and Einstein. Ears 50%+ emerged now in October sown Soissons - this is now some 7-10 days ahead of last year.

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

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: thickening canopies in response to applied N has encouraged mildew development - preventive mildew control being/been included on susceptible varieties.

Septoria: Full flag leaf emergence (T2) applications need to be robust enough to keep septoria from infecting top 3 leaves, particularly as recent rains will have splashed septoria up canopy.

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

South West: Stephen Harrison says that flag leaf fully emerged and ears just starting to show in earliest sowings. Wheat sown after the turn of the year is around GS 33. Crops are generally green and healthy with disease, apart from some stem base mildew, largely absent. Last 2 days of better weather has allowed flag leaf spraying.

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 full flag leaf emergence(T2s) on before it is too late to eradicate latent infection on leaf 2.

Eyespot: very low levels of stem browning.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports forward crops at flag fully emerged to just starting in boot. Later crops have flag at about 30% emerged. Rain then showers over the past week but also wind over the last two weeks or more has delayed field work. In some areas only 2 spray days in the last two weeks. Rain welcome but as always doesn't know when to stop.

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: pressure has built with unsettled weather and T1 sprays applied some 4 weeks ago on more forward crops. Additional triazole will be added as sprays delayed due to weather.

Eyespot: levels low.

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

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that crops range from GS 37-41. Some early crops starting to boot, late crops pretty much at flag leaf emerging. A lot of crops now at 4 weeks interval with approx 20% of full flag leaf emergence sprays (T2s) on (optimistically).

Mildew: in the base of the many crops 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, recent heavy rain will have splashed it throughout the canopy. High rates of triazoles required in full flag leaf emergence (T2) applications especially as long delay since first application.

Eyespot: low levels visible on forward Duxford and Humber.

Weeds: late germinating wild oats and broad leaved weeds, check within growth stage if still to apply herbicide.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that early drilled now full flag leaf emergence. Later drilled crops at GS 33 - 37.

Mildew: some pustules found on Solstice/Claire/Humber. 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.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports most crops have reached GS 39 very quickly, and are now a little ahead of expectations. A few leaf sheaths splitting seen in some Cordiale. Even the later sown backward crops have nearly full flag leaf emergence. One wet day, and a number of showery ones have resulted in quite a range of rainfall over last 7 days, but all crops have got some and locally recorded 28 mm. All crops ready for full flag leaf emergence (T2) application.

Mildew: none seen.

Septoria: most crops very clean down to Leaf 4 and even 5, but some have a significant infection on the older leaves so the recent rain has created some urgency for the T2 fungicide applications.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: T1 fungicide has given good control, but new infection can be found in a few crops of Oakley.

Eyespot: infection on leaf sheaths is common, but no stem penetrating lesions been seen.

Blossom midge: serious infestations have been common over the last few years so it is time to prepare pheromone traps and start monitoring in 7-10 days.

Weeds: recent rainfall is stimulating significant emergence of runch , knotgrass and redshank in some crops.

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Winter Barley

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 it's final fungicides, we are enjoying the satisfying thud as the field gate swings shut on the sprayer.

Eastern Counties: crops at early ear emergence. Full flag leaf emergence (T2) fungicide now going on.

East Midlands: awns emerging - Full flag leaf emergence (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.

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Spring Beans

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

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

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

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Crop Report compiled by Farming Online from reports received from members of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants.

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