Cabbage Leaf miner damage
Photo Phillip Tuplin.

South: Crops range from one true leaf to 6 true leaves - bulk of crops are now around 3 true leaves.

Phoma: none seen to date, even on volunteers in nearby rape stubbles - ongoing dry conditions will further limit spore release.

Flea beetle: shot holing of leaves quite widespread even though most crops have received an insecticidal seed treatment - possibly due to dry seedbeds.

Turnip Sawfly: no larvae seen as yet, though adults noted egg-laying widely again on sunny days last week.

Volunteer barley: large flush in min-tilled crops after spring barley in particular.

Eastern Counties: Pat Turnbull reports most rape now well established except for a few chalky heavy patches but even these have a low population of cotyledon rape. Currently irrigating some of these patches on one farm to aid establishment. On heavier land where rape is struggling to get a root hold on hard dry soil plants are very deep green and are wilting in areas but not dying! Generally I believe the rape will be OK with no thought of abandoning any fields yet. The majority of crops have now established and are around the 4 leaf stage.

Phoma: none seen.

Weed control: now applied pre/early post-em to all fields. Herbicide for volunteer cereal control has worked very rapidly in recent warm weather.

East Midlands: Big variation with forward crops at 4 leaves and looking good, average crops at 2-3 leaves and later crops at cotyledon to 1 leaf and needing rain. Variation across fields with some areas forward and cloddy areas backward.

Phoma: none seen.

Slugs: on the whole very low.

Leaf miners: some damage but at low levels.

West Midlands: All crops now drilled with earliest crops now at 8 true leaves but lots of crops still at cotyledon stage. Will consider applying fungicide to the most forward crops for PGR effect. Nitrogen has been applied to late sown crops.

Phoma: trace levels only.

Leaf miners: evident in some crops and worrying on late sown smaller plants.

Weed control: herbicide going on where volunteers are bad. Vast majority of crops have been treated pre emergence with weed control. OK at the moment on the earlier drilled crops.

North East: Despite the dry conditions emergence continues to improve and most crops are established now. The most forward at 3-5 leaves now. Very dry, and although crops are emerged now small plants are distinctly drought stressed and need rain within 14 days to guarantee survival.

Phoma: none seen.

Leaf miner: infestation of leaf miners seen in North Yorkshire and the most common is the Cabbage Leaf Miner.

Weed control: virtually all crops have been sprayed with herbicide at cotyledon stage.

South East: Peter Cowlrick reports that most first wheat drilling now been completed with exception of Xi19 and Soissons, with farms growing second wheat Einstein/Cordiale with Latitude now beginning drilling of these fields. Emergence of crops sown 10-14 days ago is very variable with at best only around 80% of sown seeds emerged on better seedbeds and in some cases as little as 10% where seedbeds have dried out significantly. Increasingly "Dust Bowl" like - seedbeds now so dry that recently drilled crops will not chit until we get at least an inch of rain. Cultivations on undisturbed ground are managing to retain what little moisture there is by keeping close interval between drilling and consolidation.

Slugs: with very dry conditions holding off with slug pellet applications until rains arrive to wet soils.

Weed control: Glyphosate applied up to 24 hours pre-drilling/cultivating. Problem blackgrass fields due to have pre-/peri-emergence herbicide depending upon arrival of rain - aim is to apply to seedbeds as soon as they become moist.

East Midlands: Martin Eudall reports wheat now being drilled in earnest - approximately 70% drilled. Main varieties are Oakley, Alchemy, Solstice, Viscount and Cordiale as a second wheat. Some Gallant also gone in.

Slugs: no damage at all - none seen and cultivation in dry conditions will have had good control.

Weed control: pre-ems going on in anticipation of rain at some point soon.

West Midlands: Bryce Rham reports that 80% of crop now sown but in desperate need of rain. Crops after potatoes are sitting in dust.

Weed Control: concerned that sowing depth is not all it could be on some fields. Delaying herbicide applications to prevent possible damage if and when it rains.

Eastern Counties: Brendan Butterworth reports that crops range from dry seed to 3 leaf stage. 65% of first wheats have been drilled and some second wheats have been drilled. Early drilled at GS 13 but patchy emergence. Cobbly seedbeds where ploughed, some seedbeds fine and level. Very little soil moisture. Less than 18 mm of rainfall in August and less 14 mm of rain in September.

Mildew: a few pustules on Claire at growth stage 1.3.

Slugs: low activity due to dry conditions especially where land has been ploughed.

Gout fly: eggs seen on wheat plants with 2 leaves.

Weed Control: pre-em products in bad blackgrass fields.

North East: Phillip Tuplin reports that all first wheats are drilled now, and the earliest have areas at GS11, but seedbeds are very dry and emergence is patchy. Most crops will not emerge properly until there is significant rainfall. Despite the dry conditions seedbeds so far are good with plenty of tilth and seed drilled at optimum depth and well covered. It is more difficult on the remaining fields that have had more time to dry out and some are having to be left until it rains as it is pretty much impossible to achieve a seedbed without multiple power harrowing. No rainfall has been recorded locally since the 5th September which coupled with long periods of sunshine and drying winds has created drier soils than have been experienced for many years. A bonus has been ideal conditions for effective flat-lifting and most farmers have done all fields this Autumn. Hopefully, soils will be back to the condition they were in before the floods of 2006.

Slugs: no slug activity being seen now, but will have to be vigilant once the rain comes.

Nationally: Sown but little emerged.