Rain on Saturday and Sunday was a welcome relief; we had 15-20mm. Until then the weather had been terrific for people on holiday, but not so good for those growing crops.
We'd had temperatures of 24C plus, and with no more than 16mm of rain in the previous three weeks and constant wind, soils had badly cracked and dried out.
Winter wheats are at full ear-emergence to mid-flowering (GS59-65). Most have had a T3 fungicide and the rest will be treated this week.
The T3 application should be considered an extension of the flag leaf spray and is a critical part of the fungicide programme in disease-prone varieties.
A T3 fungicide is also useful in controlling fusarium ear blight and so mycotoxins. Tests for these are now being aggressively carried out by millers, and loads of wheat were rejected last year. Alas control of fusarium is rather high and difficult to achieve.
Winter barleys are at the milky ripe to cheesy ripe stage and too late to spray with fungicide.
Spring barleys are at the full ear emergence and will be treated with T2 fungicide this week.
Some oilseed rape crops in close rotation that flowered over a prolonged period have been sprayed with a second sclerotinia fungicide.
Considering how dry it has been, it's remarkable how good crops look overall and the recent rain should help them attain their potential.
Atlantis (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron ) has given poorer than usual grassweed control this year, probably due to the cold weather in February and March and the dry spell in April.
It's now time to carry out field mapping of areas where control has been poor, with perhaps resistance the cause, and to get the weed seed tested. Remember to collect samples only when the seed is mature, which is usually when it falls off the head on shaking.
Spring wheat A C Barrie looks particularly good on the better soils and could yield well, but I fear it's struggling on Wiltshire's thin chalky land.
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