Many crops at mid flower
stage
Photo Farming Online

Sclerotinia: Threat Increases With Rain.

HGCA funded research found fungicide performance only differed at high disease levels. All fungicides for Sclerotinia are only protectant. A single spray at early to mid-flowering gave good protection for about three weeks.
Click here to read results. In spring, soil temperatures of over 10 deg.C encourage sclerotia near the surface in moist soil to germinate.

South East: Mostly at mid-flowering with early pod set. Signs of frost damage to late flowering varieties. Final nitrogen still not taken up by crops.

Light leaf spot: still finding very low levels in evidence.

Sclerotinia: petal infection risk still present and control measures in place with crops already sprayed if at early - mid flower.

South West: Bulk of crops now mid flowering. Earliest crops of Excalibur have half the pods set on the main raceme. Variable flowering timings in backward or pigeon damaged crops causing headaches re Sclerotinia fungicide timings with some fields needing separate passes over later areas. Rape generally short with very tall crops confined to high mineralisable N soils.

Light leaf spot: new growth very clean.

Eastern Counties: The majority of fields are now coming into full flower but some are still behind or have backward areas. Lower pod seems poor - pollen beetle activity / frosts?

Sclerotinia: first early petal fall sprays are currently being applied aimed at sclerotinia control remainder scheduled for next week.

East Midlands: Many crops now flowering well although some parts of crops a bit behind other areas. First pods forming. Haven't seen any myself but report of DK Cabernet aborting pods. Vision, Excel and Compass look well.

Sclerotinia: sprays now on.

Seed weevil: numbers low with just the odd one found.

West Midlands: Many crops at mid flowering although there are still patches in quite a few crops at yellow bud stage. The continuing cool showery weather is making decisions on timing of sclerotinia sprays complicated.

Sclerotinia: most Sclerotinia sprays now on.

North East: Early varieties Castille and Excalibur in full flower and some petal fall. Other varieties, and pigeon damaged areas are a few days behind.

Sclerotinia: a 2 spray programme is planned for most crops. The first was applied to many crops of Castille and Excalibur this week. The Cabernet is a little later coming into flower and reaching the target growth stage of 10-15 pods on the main stems.

Septoria still the main
disease present.
Photo Farming Online

South East: Crop growth stages vary dramatically from GS 31 - 37, but bulk of crops have leaf 3 out and tip of final leaf 2 beginning to show. Crops are short and open and growth regulator requirements are under review.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Septoria: very evident on all older leaves - only top 3 leaves appear free from symptoms.

Mildew: still no active pustules found.

Eyespot: beginning to find stem lesions in September and early October sown crops of Xi19, Cordiale and Solstice, but current conditions are not really very favourable.

Weed control: large flush of polygonous species now appearing quite widely.

South West: Rain over the previous weekend has allowed N uptake and crops have noticeably greened up. Leaf 3 now emerging on nearly all crops and fully emerged on September and early October drillings. Cold nights mean stem extension is not rapid and crops are likely to be short this year. There is some tiller loss associated with the dry April.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: still absolutely none seen. Ongoing fungicide programmes should now keep it out.

Mildew: no significant levels of mildew detectable.

Septoria: still confined to lower leaves.

Eyespot: lesions in early drillings are rarely penetrating beyond the leaf sheath.

Weed control: spring flushes are well under way with many wild oats at 1 to 3 leaves in known problem areas.

Eastern Counties: Crops range from GS 32 to GS 37 flag leaf emerging. Soils remain dry despite 4-8mm rainfall on Sunday 2nd May. Daytime soil temperatures up to 13deg.C, night time temperatures 8 deg.C. Crops suffering significant drought stress, even on heavy land.

Brown rust: odd pustules on susceptible varieties; Duxford, Zebedee, Cordiale. Disease levels generally very low.

Yellow rust: no active disease seen.

Mildew: disease present on late drilled crops and on susceptible varieties, Solstice, Conqueror and Claire, but not active.

Septoria: apparent in most crops, in particular on early drilled and forward crops.

Weed control: wild oats now at GS 1.2 - 2.4 where not controlled in the autumn. Some spring wild oats germinating.

East Midlands: Most crops at leaf 2 with flag leaf tip with later crops at leaf 3. Noticeable increase in growth after rain. All crops look generally well with Gallant impressive and Cordiale as second wheat looking well. About 12 mm rain in last week has helped but soils still quite dry on top. Crops with few tillers showing very slow response to N, except on more fertile sites - organic manures etc - which have tillered and responded to N. Reduced lodging risk on many crops. Still very little disease. T2 in approx 14 days for most crops.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: none about.

Mildew: levels very low with just thicker crops showing some in Solstice in bottoms of stems.

Septoria: leaf 4 clean and leaf 5 just odd amounts. Leaf 3 will be covered now with T1.

Eyespot: can be found especially in Solstice and Einstein.

Weed control: some regrowth of cleavers just showing.

West Midlands: Majority of crops have leaf 3 full out and most T1 fungicides already applied. Forward crops now have flag leaf just showing. Inspite of recent rains there are obvious drought symptoms in many crops.

Yellow rust: none seen.

Mildew: traces on Humber and JB Diego.

Septoria: low levels on bottom leaves.

Eyespot: already through to main stem in early sown crops of Gallant and Humber. Visible in Alchemy, Diego and Solstice.

North East: All crops at GS 32 with final leaf 3 out. 13mm rainfall over last 7 days. This is enough to assist N uptake, but not to stop field operations.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: no infection seen. The T0 application has controlled it well so far.

Mildew: none seen.

Septoria: still a big reservoir of infection on older leaves in most crops, but overall no different to most years at this time.

Eyespot: no obvious infections seen.

Weed control: cleavers and cranes bill to be controlled.

South East: Growth stages now range from GS37-39. Some net-blotch evident in Cassata but otherwise crops are clean. T2 fungicides being planned for around 2 weeks time.

South West: Awns emerging on all crops. Following a dry April winter barley looks thin. Best crops where bulk of nitrogen went on in March. Unlikely that much late PGR will be applied this year.

Eastern Counties: Crops range from GS 33 to awn emergence. Net blotch and Rhynchosporium active in some crops. Crops in good condition and actively growing.

East Midlands: Generally crops have flag out with awns about to show and T2 now on. Crops on the whole short and no growth regulator needed. Crops clean of disease.

West Midlands: Awns emerging /out on Carat, also flag leaf out on light land stressed crops, some are looking pretty ropy and thin due to tiller loss.

North East: A few awns coming through now in some crops of Carat. Most varieties are at least 50% flag leaf emerged.

: at 2-6 pair leaves and bean weevil damage extensive in some crops and may require further control.