Over the last ten days we have had some very welcome rain after a drought of nearly six weeks.
Oilseed rape crops are very uneven and patchy due to lack of moisture.
The most forward plants are at the six-leaf stage and some are at merely the two-leaf stage, however with nearly 15mm of rain the crops should grow fast and even out. Surprisingly, winter wheat drilled in the third week of September has emerged fairly evenly and is at the one leaf stage.
All the winter rape has now been treated with a graminicide to control the volunteer cereals. Any crops not treated should now be treated as a matter of urgency since with the rain the volunteers will grow rapidly and compete vigorously with the small rape plants.
Also make sure to use robust rates of the herbicides since these chemicals are notoriously slow to act and the large plants will need higher rates.
Some winter wheat and winter barley crops have been treated with a pre-emergence herbicide and the remaining will now be treated during the week commencing 12 October, particularly where blackgrass is a problem.
It is important to control blackgrass before it gets beyond the three-leaf stage and ensure that herbicides from different chemical groups are used in mixtures where resistance is present.
Blackgrass will have a prolonged dormancy this year and so it will be necessary to apply robust rates of long lasting residual herbicides.
Oilseed rape crops have remained largely clear of phoma but with the arrival of the recent rain, be vigilant and look out for the typical creamy white leaf spots with black dots and be prepared to spray.
Most rape crops are small this year so it may be appropriate to use a non-plant growth regulator fungicide for the control of phoma.
The rain is also going to throw up the perennial slug problem.
Check crops regularly and apply slug pellets but also bear in mind the metaldehyde stewardship guidelines.
Leave a comment
What a user pic? Get a Gravatar!