Apart from some of the later-drilled cereals, most spraying work is up to date. The decision whether to T3 or not was largely dictated by the amounts of rain that people had as the crop was about to flower.

Orange blossom midge in this part of the world did not feature highly on many farms, particularly as all is feed wheat here and the conditions were not favourable. The wind has been a constant factor for several weeks now. That, coupled with the extreme dry and the odd very hot day has certainly hastened some winter barleys ripening/ senescing on the lighter soils.

Talking about the later crops, especially some of those behind beet, it is clear to see that in hindsight some of these should not have been drilled, as the dryness coupled with some very ordinary seedbeds has prevented decent rooting, which in turn, has affected the uptake of nitrogen. We are left with plants that need to send up a head to the detriment of tillering, some very thin crops.

Diseases have been kept at bay with good programmes, though latterly in some untreated demonstrations septoria is now creeping up. Yellow rust has easily been seen but treatments have worked well where this has happened. It is not Oakley, I have seen it in Gallant, Solstice, Viscount and Duxford.

Sugar beet in this area looks very well indeed though with some late rains, fat hen seedlings, and rape are reappearing and if the crop is still open consideration should be made as to whether they need sorting out. I know to my cost about dismissing rape last year.

Spring beans are podding now and bruchid beetle sprays if the PGRO criteria is reached will be being done. Very little disease has been seen in this crops so far. Combining peas are flowering well now and pea moth monitoring in the few I have, shown low numbers up to last Wednesday though this can change quickly.