While the current dry spell is helping to dampen down disease and enable farmers to tackle the spring backlog, some crops could do with some rain, especially spring crops, says David Martindale.

Ryan Hudson adds that the three weeks of dry weather also means fertiliser applications made earlier in the month still await being fully taken up.

The unseasonal conditions are also being noted by Tod Hunnisett, who can’t remember a time when rape has been in full flower so early and the extended flowering may mean adopting a two-spray sclerotinia strategy.

See also: Catch up with previous Crop Watch pieces

However, one concern for Neil Potts is the risk of lodging in winter barley if we continue to have a “growy” time.

Neil Potts

West: Neil Potts

Matford Arable (Devon)

The spring has started out relatively cool and damp with spraying days and drilling days having been at a premium. This has meant that spring barley drilling is late and quite a few T0 applications on wheat and barley were delayed.

In wheat, septoria is present as it always is in this part of the world, but we’re continuing to see a much higher incidence of yellow rust. Well-timed T0 applications have dried up this yellow rust pretty well, but continued vigilance will be required.

Autumn pre-emergence treatments continue to do a good job with little or no follow up grassweed control required and just a fairly basic broad-leaved weed application required to clean crops up.

At the time of writing, most crops are at growth stage 31 and on target for a T1 application at or just after Easter. The main thrust of the T1 application will be septoria, but with activity against rust at the forethought as well.

Winter barley crops enjoyed the relatively mild and dry winter and look promising. The most serious problem this year looks like it could be lodging. 

Mildew, rhynchosporium and brown rust have all been evident in most crops. These are either receiving or have received their T1 application, which has included a fairly robust plant growth regulator treatment. Most crops are currently at GS31 to 32.

Oilseed rape continues to look good this year – we are just about at mid-flowering. These will receive a sclerotinia application imminently. As usual with OSR, looking good is no guarantee of performance, but all the indicators are there for a reasonable crop at present.

David Martindale

North: David Martindale

Arable Alliance (Yorkshire)

A prolonged spell of dry weather has allowed rapid progress to be made to spring drilling with moisture conservation becoming the main challenge on heavier soil types. Dare I say it, but a drop of rain would be welcome on most crops now, especially spring crops.

Winter wheat crops have improved significantly in the past month although some rain to wash the main dose of nitrogen fertiliser into the soil profile would certainly help the later-sown crops.

T0 fungicides have been applied on time due to good weather. Yellow rust has been gradually increasing in susceptible varieties, so the T0 fungicide will help to provide control until the T1 timing. 

As leaf three begins to emerge then thoughts turn to the T1 fungicide decisions. Currently it feels like the Septoria tritici pressure has been significantly reduced due to such a long spell of dry weather.

However, as soon as it turns wet again there is plenty of septoria present on the older leaves to infect what will become the yield-forming leaves.

On more disease resistant varieties it is a case of how brave to be with reducing fungicide input, the main issue being whether to include a SDHI fungicide at the T1 timing.  The T1 timing will also provide good opportunities to control weeds such as charlock, fat hen and wild oats.

Oilseed rape crops have rapidly moved into the flowering phase which seems particularly early this year. A combination of more earlier flowering varieties, such as Elgar and Alizze, combined with above average temperatures have seen the countryside turn yellow very quickly.

Fungicides for sclerotinia control will soon be required with application timing often more important than product choice. The key decision will be whether to apply one or two fungicides for sclerotinia control.

Todd Hunnisett

South: Tod Hunnisett

AICC (Sussex)

It’s been an interesting crop year so far. A cold, dry winter followed by a mild, wet early spring showed crops looking like they’d already had their nitrogen in February. Then a non-stop deluge and some areas have only recently had some, by which time they desperately needed it.

I can’t remember a time when rape has been in full flower so early. Many people struggled to get its final nitrogen on before it became too tall. If it continues flowering until it would normally stop I see this as a good sign, because generally, the longer OSR flowers the more chance there is of an increased yield.

In situations like this a second flowering fungicide is worth considering. We’ve had a couple of frosts these last few nights, but as yet I haven’t seen any damage to young pods.

Spring applied Atlantis (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron) has appeared to work much better than it did last year. This is encouraging, because it shows last year’s poor results were not solely down to resistance.

However, when you do see a fantastic kill and then the odd, obviously very healthy blackgrass plant, you know the problem is creeping in. Rogueing surviving plants? Let’s cross that bridge when we see how bad the problem is.

First fungicides are going/have just gone on. I’m still a believer in robust up-front treatments and I’m not a great believer in the principle of reducing azoles to minimise exposure and, therefore, risk of resistance later in the crop’s life.

Add a bit of rust to the equation and in my mind it justifies my strategy of high triazole plus chlorothalonil as a starting point.

Ryan Hudson

East: Ryan Hudson

Farmacy (Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire)

With no rain for over three weeks now, things are a little dry and fertiliser applications earlier in the month still await being fully taken up.

Most crops were well established and roots will be following any moisture down the profile. The concern is with low winter rainfall the reserves are a little low.

The focus during T0 was yellow rust and the dirtier crops are well protected. Some of the later-drilled crops only reached growth stage 30 in the last week and look to be moving through to growth stage 31 fairly rapidly, so will go straight into a T1 fungicide starting this weekend into next week. 

Septoria pressure is a factor of rainfall and following three dry weeks, disease is confined to the base of the crop and there is scope to adjust T1 fungicide input depending on previous treatments, weather forecast and variety. 

Crop development is variable and the T1 target is at least 50% of final leaf 3 emerged. The only way to determine this is by peeling leaf layers back to ensure you understand which leaf is being treated.

Where a T1 fungicide has been applied already, be prepared to apply a T1.5 holding spray as the interval to T2 applications is likely to be stretched beyond three to four weeks.

Winter beans have been developing well and will receive the first fungicide imminently to provide some disease protection on the lower leaves. This will also include nutrients such as foliar phosphite and sulphur.

Spring crops have been emerging rapidly where moisture has been retained; any seed-beds that have had to be worked this spring are now suffering with the dry conditions.