Recently by Neil Donkin

At last there is some warmth in the sun, though night temperatures are still below freezing. Dry fields are giving an ideal opportunity for applications of early nitrogen and P&K fertilisers.

Crop growth is barely evident, so nitrogen will not be taken up yet. But in dry conditions there is no danger of leaching and the fertiliser will sit there until needed.

In a "normal" year, T0 fungicides would be applied about 20 March, but with slow growth so far this year it's likely to be pushed back towards the end of March/early April. It is still too cold for Atlantis application and this may eventually coincide with T0 spraying. If so take note of the Bayer recommendations on tank mixes.

Where over-wintered meadowgrasses and broadleaved weeds are the target in wheat, conditions are suitable for the use of Othello, though in some cases, where weed size permits, it may be sensible to wait for spring weed germination and control all with one spray.

Night frosts continue but with little rainfall in the past two and a half weeks there is a good opportunity for preparing spring seed-beds and applying P&K fertilisers.

Spring beans are being planted this week but it is probably a little early for barley to go into such cold soil. Remember if, planting beans, to apply a pre-emergence herbicide as there are few choices for post-emergence treatment.

Most cereal crops have come through the winter very well. Those that were drilled in September have tillered adequately, particularly winter barley. Later drilled wheat crops however have not tillered and will benefit from 40kg/ha of nitrogen in late February/early March.

As usual at this time of year, there are high levels of septoria tritici in wheat and rhynchosporium in barley but it is far too early to consider treatments.

There is a lot of talk in the press about the high risk of yellow rust in many wheat varieties but none is apparent at present.

Rain and high winds have stopped nearly all field work though I do have a customer that managed to drill a field of wheat this week. So there are plenty of spraying jobs to be done once the weather calms down.

Blackgrass is developing rapidly and in wheat Atlantis seems now to be the only option, to be sprayed at the first opportunity. While temperatures stay high it should work well. An aphicide will be mixed in as BYDV is a serious risk in the mild weather.

Meadowgrass in both wheat and barley is awaiting treatment, mostly with chlortoluron mixtures. As time goes by without spraying, the rate of CTU will have to be increased to cope with bigger weeds. In wheat, at least we have the option of using Othello if it proves impossible to apply residuals.

Winter barley is very lush and there is risk of crop scorch from spraying herbicides, especially in mix with aphicides. Take care if frost is forecast and allow the crop to harden-off first.

 

Rain over the past fortnight has at last penetrated far enough into the soil to encourage germination of cereal seeds, some of which were sitting in the ground for a month without moving.

As a result, there are many uneven cereal crops with some plants at three leaves and others just emerging. This is causing a problem for the timing of early post-emergence herbicides. In some fields flufenacet mixtures planned for pre-emergence were not applied because of inadequate drilling depth.

Now, uneven emergence is complicating the post-emergence timing.

Similarly, in barley, where chlortoluron is in the mix, it is best to wait until the three-leaf stage. But by the time backward plants have got there weeds in forward areas may be getting too big. Aphicides are being applied along with herbicides where seed was not Deter dressed.

Slugs have caused some problems particularly in cloddy areas and crops following oilseed rape. Regular inspections are vital until the crop is well established.

After nearly four weeks with no worthwhile rain, soils are very dry. This is ideal for subsoiling to repair the damage done in the past three wet harvests, but it is also bringing some problems.

There is little sign of weeds or volunteers in stale seed-beds so the choice is to wait for rain to produce some growth or to carry on drilling and try to tackle the problems later.

Most growers are opting for the latter course, but it will result in a heavier burden of weed and volunteer cereals in the next crop.

Against that, provided a good seed-bed can be produced, it seems a good idea to keep drilling. Once it starts to rain, it may not stop for some time.

Most of the cereal harvest is now complete, though there is still wheat to be cut on higher ground. Beans and linseed are yet to be combined in most areas.

The first priority after harvest is to produce false seed-beds to encourage weed germination. This is a very important first step in the fight against grassweeds, particularly blackgrass and sterile brome.

Blackgrass seeds should have low dormancy following warm, dry weather in early summer. So it should grow rapidly in moist, fine tilths and can then be killed with glyphosate.

If the dominant problem is with meadow, soft or rye brome, the seeds from these should be left on the surface for a month to ripen fully before cultivation starts.