Crop Watch: Dry weather prompts early cereal drilling

Many farmers are continuing to make the most of the dry spell, getting cereal crops into the ground in good time.

Our CropWatch agronomists look at drilling and early establishment around the country.

See also: How to make the most of phosphate fertilisers this autumn

South

Neil Harper – Agrii (Kent)

So far, about 40% of our winter wheat and barley has been drilled – compared with 10% on 1 October 2024.

Despite the challenges, I can empathise with farmers wanting to drill crops earlier than usual.

Ground conditions are excellent, and with cereal prices where they are, the bar is set at about 8t/ha for a profitable return.

Where grassweeds aren’t an issue, early drilling maximises yield potential.

However, without careful consideration we may be redrilling crops in October. We have been discussing variety choice and seed rate in this situation.

You need something that will be competitive against grassweeds, but which won’t cause further headaches in the spring with excessive growth and lodging.

It also ramps up the pressure on getting herbicide programmes correct. This begins with creating decent stale seed-beds and applying suitable rates of glyphosate.

There will also be an increased emphasis on peri- and post-emergence herbicides to extend activity through the autumn.

Most importantly, we need to ensure we don’t get too far ahead with the drill and that herbicides are applied in a timely and effective manner.

This means drilling in blocks where we can keep the rolls and sprayer close behind the drill.

When it comes to the pre-emergence, are we using the correct water rates, forward speed, nozzle choice and angle, and adjuvants to optimise efficacy?

Taking a step back to consider what we are doing with wheat and barley establishment will be key over the next four weeks.

More oilseed rape

We have 20-30% more oilseed rape in the ground than last year.

The value of the crop compared with cereals, the merits of it being a genuine break crop, and farmers having more time to consider establishment with the early harvest have contributed to the increase.   

Oilseed rape establishment has shifted away from calendar dates. We’re now assessing the conditions and taking action accordingly. This year, it means there are two main drilling periods.

Some went very early, in the third week of July when there was some rain around. These have motored and are about six true leaves.

They have had an application of clethodim to begin tackling the grass weeds that have emerged with the regular rainfall.

Although we are hearing of some incidences of phoma in early drilled OSR locally, the main challenge to these crops is turnip sawfly, which is taking out quite a few plants in some instances.

The second oilseed rape drilling window this season was early September. Most of these crops are at the two-true-leaf stage and appear well.

They are, however, competing against a carpet of volunteer cereals and grassweeds, which are being dealt with.

Pleasingly, the cabbage stem flea beetle pressure has been isolated to a few cases.

If prices remain as they are, it will be a key cash crop for many farmers, and we will look to invest in it, which starts with good autumn nutrition.

West

Jamie Armstrong, AICC/Wessex Agronomy (Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire)

Late September finds the South West in full autumn mode. Most winter barley is drilled and showing promising early establishment where moisture was right.

A few late fields are still going in this week, but the focus has largely switched to winter wheat.

Growers face the familiar dilemma: push on early or hold back. Early wheat drilling secures good seed-bed conditions but heightens the risks of blackgrass and barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).

Delaying until early October allows a flush of blackgrass to germinate for stale seed-bed control and shortens the BYDV risk window, but carries the gamble of wetter soils and poorer seed-beds.

Splitting the drilling programme is proving popular: clean fields first, high-pressure fields later.

Good green-bridge control remains essential; volunteers and grassweeds must be controlled well before drilling to limit aphid habitat.

Residual herbicides remain the cornerstone in barley and wheat. Stacking modes of action and applying soon after drilling gives the best results. Where blackgrass pressure is high, later drilling still offers the biggest cultural advantage.

BYDV risk is high in mild autumns. Monitor aphid flights and be prepared to spray if thresholds are reached, especially on early-sown barley and wheat.

OSR weed control

Most oilseed rape crops now sit at the four-true-leaf stage. Minor cabbage stem flea beetle damage has been observed in the past week, but most crops should grow away from it.

Blackgrass and broad-leaved weeds are thriving, and the debate turns to timing: whether to prioritise broad-leaf or grassweed control.

Early broad-leaf sprays catch weeds small but may restrict later grassweed options. Conversely, holding off risks greater broad-leaved weed competition while waiting for the best grassweed window.

Due to tank-mix compatibility, many growers are opting for a split approach, an early grassweed pass followed by broad-leaved weed control once conditions favour it.

Key pointers this week:

• Drill clean fields first, using a robust pre-emergence; delay dirtier blocks to allow a blackgrass flush
• Keep green bridges down well before drilling to limit BYDV hosts
• Watch aphid activity and plan autumn aphicide sprays if thresholds are reached
• Sequence OSR herbicides carefully, balancing broad-leaf and grassweed priorities
• Adjust seed rates for later-sown wheat to maintain crop competitiveness

Conditions so far have been kind enough for good barley establishment, but the main campaign now is wheat, and with it comes the familiar tightrope walk between timely drilling, blackgrass pressure and BYDV risk.

Flexible, field-by-field decisions will be the difference between simply getting crops in and setting them up for a strong spring.

East

Dan Ives, Agrovista (Herts, Beds, Cambs and Essex)

Welcome showers during August came just at the right time to help the establishment of stewardship mixes and crops.

As I write this towards the end of September, we have received about 40% of average rainfall throughout both months, with September receiving most, if not all, of this within the first week to 10 days.

While oilseed rape crops have benefited, attention is now turning to optimising drilling date and seed-bed conditions for winter cereals.

About a third of my total oilseed rape area was planted early in July.

Apart from a couple of bits that needed redrilling, mainly due to seed-bed conditions and smaller plants sitting in dry conditions, rather than pest damage, it has all come well.

The remaining acreage was drilled through the end of August and early September, catching the showers mentioned above. As it stands, not a single insecticide has been used.

Flea beetle pressure in the main has been lower than expected and we have also targeted nutrition to get the crop through its growth stages to the point where treatment is not necessary.

Grassweeds have emerged well within crops.

Some fields required early graminicides for volunteers; on later-sown areas we have mainly held off to go straight in with clethodim to treat blackgrass and ryegrass, which has emerged quickly in troublesome areas.

Early drilled crops are also being treated for broad-leaved weeds which have been more prevalent this year.

Winter barley in

Most winter barley has been sown; heavier land has been established in good time to aid tiller survival.

Pre-emergence herbicides have been applied behind the rolls, so it would be nice to receive a shower or two to help activate these. With a lack of options post emergence, a strong start of stacking actives is vital for barley.

About 25% of wheat will be drilled by the end of this week. Generally, seed-beds are in great condition, thanks to the extra time following the early harvest to prepare land.

Over the past week bad grassweed areas have started to flush well and are receiving a pre-drill glyphosate – a satisfying job.

Sugar beet harvesting has begun on heavy land, with the Bury St Edmunds factory opening on 29 September. Beet are coming out clean due to the dry conditions, although hard ground is slowing progress.

First indications for these early lifted crops seem promising.

North

Conor Campbell, Hutchinsons (Northumberland)

The extremely dry conditions that continued into August prompted the understandable fear that “when the rain starts, it won’t stop”.

The rain eventually appeared on the forecast a fortnight ago, but our fears were not realised when 30-35mm arrived over a 24-hour period, soaked in and, in fact, improved conditions dramatically.

Oilseed rape went into completely dry soils and for some, stayed there for 3-4 weeks before eventually germinating once we got an initial drop of rain.

These have been a struggle since, as we have been in field several times a week trying to will them on.

I don’t feel the cabbage stem flea beetle numbers have been high, but rather, with so few plants emerged, it hasn’t taken many adults to put the field under pressure (semantics, perhaps).

Even the volunteer cereals have struggled, so there has been an unusual clash of spraying in recent weeks.

Our main focus now is getting these crops to a size where they will handle pigeon grazing and everything the winter may throw at them.

Nitrogen, phosphites and nutrition are going to be key over the next few weeks.

A huge amount of cereals were sown in a short period of time, some before the rain but a lot over the past 7-10 days, which have all hit moisture and emerged in record time.

Early drilling, particularly with moisture and warm soils, will bring challenges that we need to address in the autumn to avoid problems in the spring.

Grassweeds will begin to emerge and we need to bear in mind that residual actives are only effective for so long.

Flufenacet, for example, will cease to be effective on bromes and blackgrass after approximately 20 days.

It would be wise to consider a sequenced approach to residual chemistry where there is a focus on these weeds.

We may look to use long-lasting actives such as aclonifen, or start with our flufenacet-based products and follow that with cinmethylin.

This approach ensures that an adequate loading of active is present throughout the germination windows and is the building block to reducing grassweed pressure in the spring.

I can’t sign off without mentioning BYDV. Early emergence means increased pressure, so remember to monitor aphid numbers and treat accordingly – where you haven’t entered fields in IPM4.