Many crops at mid
flower stage.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: Mostly at Mid-Late flowering - ES Alienor close to late-flower in some areas and is still most advanced variety. Despite recent late frosts, very little sign of aborted pods or damaged buds in most crops, with the exception of DK Cabernet, which seems to be displaying a major reluctance to flower and has a worrying level of yellow/brown buds which have clearly been aborted/damaged? Looks to be around another 2 weeks of flowering left in most crops.

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

Sclerotinia: with ascopore infections now being found at many sites and warmer weather on the way it is still important to apply mid-flowering sprays 21 days after yellow bud/first flower applications - sclerotinia control is via protection only!

South West: Now well into pod set with early flowering types such as Excalibur and Vision setting high numbers. We only have a limited area of DK Cabernet in the ground, some of which appears to be affected by the poor pod set problems reported nationally - the worst affected being crops grown at high altitude. Rape, like wheat, is short this year and no instances of lodging during flowering have been seen.

Seed weevil: very few seed weevils seen.

Eastern Counties: Some oilseed rape noteably DK Cabinet is still very slow to come into full flower. Other fields are patchy with the pigeon damaged areas particularly slow. Elsewhere crops are in full flower.

Sclerotinia: all early petal fall - sclerotinia protection sprays now applied except on a few very backward fields. Considering a follow up after 3 weeks on high risk sites.

East Midlands: Crops well into flower with forward ones at 15-20 pods but later crops just starting to form pods.

Sclerotinia: sprays now all on - follow up will depend on risk and if dry weather continues. Low risk crops getting one spray and will only get second if risk heightens.

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

West Midlands: Majority of crops at mid flowering although still a few struggling to come into flower. Vast majority of petal fall sprays now on with just the very late/pigeon damaged crops to do (about 5% of my area). Some crops well through flowering with 30% pod set. Ice on my windscreen on Wednesday morning what will that do to yield potential?

Sclerotinia: most sprays now on.

North East: All crops in full flower now, and have significant petal fall. There has been excellent pod setting so far.

Sclerotinia: temperatures are low so expect there to be only a slight risk of infection at the moment. Will decide later whether to apply a second fungicide after a 21 day interval.

Yellow rust appearing on
late treated Oakley.
Photo Farming Online.

South East: A week of cold nights and cool days have again slowed crop growth. With only around 5-10 mm of rain in last 2 weeks soils are now dry on the surface, leading to continued slow N uptake. Still a wide range of growth stages from GS31 to GS37, with September sown crops now mostly at GS33-37. Leaf 2 now fully emerged on main shoots of September sown Solstice, Gallant and Einstein, with tip of flag leaf 1/3 emerged on main shoots - T1 fungicides been applied to most crops in last 2 weeks when leaf 3 was fully emerged on main shoots.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: no symptoms been found anywhere in last fortnight.

Mildew: still no active pustules found - continuation of dry cool days together with a lack of lush soft growth to date mean that mildew risk is currently extremely low.

Septoria: with ongoing lack of rainsplash events is now mainly confined to lower leaves - top 3-4 leaves currently very clean. Combination of dry and cool conditions are likely to result in very low Septoria pressure in most crops here in the South - latent period for any Septoria infection of new growth currently likely to be around 21-28 days.

Eyespot: low levels of non-penetrating stem lesions visible in September and early October sown crops of Xi19, Cordiale and Solstice, but continuation of cool and dry conditions are not favourable.

South West: Most crops now have leaf 2 fully out with the young flag leaf rolled up near the ligule of leaf 2. Succession of cold nights means development is not rapid and full flag leaf emergence is likely to be delayed to around the 20th May - compare this to 2007 when flag leaves were emerging in April. Crops remain short although greening has deepened as N is at last taken up. Only exceptions are in early September sowings on high mineralisable N soils where Grafton is at GS37.

Yellow rust: seen in Oakley where a scheduled T0 triazole was not applied. T1 treatments appear to be holding the infection.

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: blackgrass is booting in missed areas.

Eastern Counties: Crops range from GS32 to GS37 flag leaf emerging. Soils remain dry despite 7-11 mm rainfall on Sunday 9th May. Crops suffering significant drought stress, even on heavy land. Recent rain may help in the short term. Daytime soil temperatures up to 13 deg.C, night time temperatures 8 deg.C.

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 have leaf 2 out and flag tip showing whilst forward crops have flag emerging. Later crops at leaf 2 emerging. Crops look well but dry weather has shortened them and little or no late growth regulator required. Total rain over last 5 weeks about 20 mm so more dry weather not good. Soils dry and cracking.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: seen only on unsprayed Oakley, but could be sitting on a time bomb with all very susceptible varieties.

Mildew: with cold dry weather, mildew levels are very low and restricted to a bit on the very lower base of plants.

Septoria: upper leaves clear but short crops and damp nights means transmission to upper leaves will continue but T1 sprays should be holding it OK. T2 sprays will start next week.

Eyespot: can still be found in low levels particularly in Einstein but generally crops have very low levels

Weed control: worryingly some blackgrass regrowth in one or two fields which may be do to a range of factors ranging from big plants in spring to conditions at spraying.

West Midlands: Crops have come to a grinding halt over the last week, with the flag leaf at the same point as last week, not very helpful for T2 timing as running up to 21 days since T1. Grafton has overtaken Humber and is VERY short, also looks to be bit too thin (sowed it at a heavier rate than Humber BUT looks as though it needs another 10kg/ha). Crops on light land looking particularly drought stressed.

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.

Weed control: cleavers coming back from earlier treatments + newly emerged cleavers over the last 2-3 weeks.

North East: Crops at GS32-33. All crops have final leaf 3 fully emerged and leaf 2 at least partly out. Tip of flag leaf visible in a few crops. Only 4mm rainfall locally in last 7 days, but plenty of moisture in the soil so crops are looking fine. There has been plenty of sunshine but temperatures very low, only 6 degrees C at midday today and some ground frost last night.

Brown rust: none seen.

Yellow rust: no infection seen.

Septoria: final leaves 2 and 3 are clean. T1 applied last week should give protection until T2 which will be applied from about May 20th.

Eyespot: low level of infection seen in a few early sown crops but not expected to become an issue this season.

Mildew: none seen.

Weed control: patches of wild oats coming through in some fields.

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: Growth stages now mostly range from GS37-45, with first awns just showing now on crops of Boost. T2 fungicides scheduled to be applied in next 2 weeks.

Eastern Counties: Crops range from GS39 to awn emergence. Second fungicide applications now underway on many crops.

East Midlands: Crops now up to GS 37-39 - awns out. Few tillers, short crops, lodging risk below average.

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

North East: Awns mostly emerged in forward crops of Carat. Most 6-rows a bit later. T2 application planned for next 7 days or as soon as awns mostly emerged.

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