Crop Watch: Flag leaf spraying progresses as thoughts turn to T3

Better weather over the past few days has allowed many growers to press-on with planned T2 flag leaf sprays, according to FWi’s team of agronomists.

In the southwest, Dan Dines said most sprays should be on this week, providing the weather held out. Septoria was the main target and fungicides had been based on a good triazole + chlorothalonil + strobilurin.

He advised growers planning T3 treatments to assess fusarium risk and tailor product choice accordingly. “Timing is important, i.e. apply at early flowering, and do not skimp on dose rate.”

Most winter wheat in Hampshire was at the 50% flag leaf-emerged to full flag-emerged stage, Swaran Bachoo said. “All crops have five clean leaves and are showing the benefit of the earlier T0 and T1 sprays.”

He advised growers not to delay T2 sprays, even if T1s had only recently been applied. “Remember that the flag leaf and ear together will deliver 70% of the final yield.”

For Ruth East in Lincolnshire, variable growth stages – even within the same field – were complicating T2 spray timings. “Some plants have flag leaf fully-emerged, while on others it can only just be found.”

Thankfully, disease levels were relatively low, however some mildew had been seen on crops suffering from moisture stress, she said.

In Northumberland, Robert Sullivan was relieved that fieldwork had finally got back on track after what had been a “frustrating” six weeks. “How big an influence the delays will have on yield potential is hard to tell, but in general, winter cereals look surprisingly well.”

Winter barley had “shot through” growth stages and where possible a growth regulator had been applied, he said.

To read any of the reports in full, click on the links above, or select one of the following regions:
North (Robert Sullivan)
East (Ruth East)
South (Swaran Bachoo)
West (Dan Dines)