Bets are now being placed on when harvest will start. Some winter barley crops look quite 'fit' from the road, but when walked they are still a bit off harvest yet. By the time of writing a few early oilseed rape crops will have been sprayed off.
Rainfall in June has seen wheat crops improve. However, I fear the majority are too thin to produce top yields. With quite a number of later, smaller tillers and the difficult season for broad-leaved weed control, there could be more pre-harvest glyphosate used this season.
Whether to apply late foliar nitrogen to milling wheats has prompted much debate. We decided to apply to the crops which look to have reasonable yield potential. Hindsight will tell us if we were right.
Thoughts have already turned to next season. On many farms, a long-term cropping plan is in place, so only minor tweaks have been required. For example, where blackgrass is problematic a spring crop is preferred.
The weather unfortunately dominates our thoughts. I am commonly asked what I think yields will be as there are some concerns in respect to meeting forward sold tonnages.
Winter oilseed rape crops generally still look promising. There is some pod midge damage, but on the whole, levels are not too bad and they tend to be worse on headlands. Fortunately many wheat crops are flowering, so we are through the risk period for orange wheat blossom midge.
Whether or not to apply a T3 fungicide has prompted much debate on farm. Whilst it is appreciated that the yield response from a T3 may be limited this season, it is important to protect quality on milling and seed crops. So these quality crops will receive a T3, but there may be some scope to reduce the dose slightly.
I have recorded just over 30mm of rain since the 1st March, so understandably crops are beginning to struggle. Some soil types are holding out better than others, and variability within fields is now evident.
The stress crops are under is causing them to rush through their growth stages, and as a result wheat can be found with flag leaf emerging. Blackgrass is also heading early this year.
Dews and warm temperatures mean septoria can be found on leaf five, and occasionally on leaf four. Given that wheat crops are short and upright, infected leaves are rubbing against newly emerging leaves. Mildew can now be found, particularly in stressed crops.
Decisions on flag leaf sprays are pending, but presenting a real dilemma. Disease pressure, weather and yield potential all need to be considered, and in many cases the T1 has not been on too long.
Some wheat crops on fertile, sheltered sites are developing rapidly, with leaf three just starting to emerge on the main tillers. However, many crops have been held back by the cold nights and dry conditions and development has been slow.
Given that I have not found yellow rust, we have been able to follow a conventional GS30-31 timing for T0 fungicides. Hopefully this will mean the interval between T0 and T1 is three weeks or fewer.
The T1 will be targeted at 75% emergence of leaf three, but the weather and workload will ultimately dictate when it is applied.
In some fields there has been a spring germination of blackgrass, which is now at the one-to-two leaf stage. Where Atlantis (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron) has already been applied there is nothing we can do, which is rather frustrating.
Crops generally appear to have come through the winter reasonably well thus far. Frost lift can be found, particularly on the chalk, and some fields will benefit from rolling in the spring.
Unfortunately, blackgrass also appears to have survived the winter well, with Atlantis applications planned when the weather improves. Please remember that this is now your only option for black-grass control, so every effort must be made to maximise product efficacy.
Phoma has returned in many oilseed rape crops, albeit on old, big leaves. Given this and the forecast for increased light leaf spot incident in our region it is likely that most crops will receive a fungicide this month.
There are a few oilseed rape crops which are fairly small and these will receive some nitrogen in mid February (weather permitting) to try and kick start them. These crops also need protecting from pigeons.
Good weather means drilling is nearing completion, with some wheat still to be planted following forage maize. In most cases, seed-beds have been good, the exception being those on very heavy ground which has proved difficult to dry out at depth.
Slug damage has been relatively low, which has been good for reducing slug pellet usage. However, in occasional situations slugs have been quite damaging, and required robust treatments.
Where pre-emergence herbicides have been applied they appear to be doing a good job, with grassweeds looking sick.
My policy is not to apply Atlantis (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron) to a field in two consecutive seasons. So in this situation we are stacking residuals, a strategy not made easy by the shortage of flufenacet products.
Given the recent hot and dry conditions bets are being placed as to when winter barley harvest will start. Crops on lighter ground are 'going off' fast. Wheat on drought prone land is also showing signs of moisture stress and is not a pretty site.
In wheat, diseases continue to be conspicuous by there absence. In fungicide trials untreated plots of susceptible varieties are starting to show yellow rust.
Given the low disease levels and the need to manage costs, some feed wheats have not received a T3 fungicide. We will watch theses crops with interest, and time will tell if this has been the right decision.
There appears to be a renewed debate on the use of late foliar nitrogen on milling wheats. While some millers are not keen on it, I fear that in higher yield situations we will not hit protein without it. Some clarity and common sense is required. In the meantime, care is required when applying late foliar nitrogen to avoid scorching stressed crops.
