Summer arrived with a vengance last thursday with temperatures soring to 25C and overnight temperatures not dropping below 7C.

Wheat crops are showing signs of stress already with flag leaves curling up in the heat of the day, with some reports of crops being irrigated. As one can imagine soil conditions are very dry, the only saving grace is that most crops have developed good root structures during the cold winter.

Both winter barley and wheat crops are thinner than usual, I think this is down to the cold winter and crops not being able to get hold of the applied nitrogen early enough.

Cold weather after wheat T1 applications caused crops to put the breaks on for 10 days. This has meant that the T2 had to be delayed with the interval on some crops being up to 28 days, majority of crops have now been done with just a few remaining this week.

Grafton has started to boot, Humber and other early sown crops are at full flag, with the remaining crops at flag leaf one-third out. Septoria levels at the moment are low with most crops showing leaf 4 clean at the moment. Still no yellow rust to report.

Early springweed control has been somewhat erratic with tame oats and cleavers coming back from early applied mesosulfuron/iodosulfuron  (interestingly the black grass was controlled in the same field!). Cleavers are also coming back from other sulfuron applications (cleavers have also emerged since early weed control) .

Pyroxsulam applications were all made 1st/2nd week of April and so far having good effects on broad leaved weeds and grass weeds (not sure about Italian reygrass control although it is pale so await to see final outcome). It is also having a good effect on volunteer barley, effects vary from stopping growth of the plant to the heads being very contorted and trapped. We will wait to see if grains are produced.