The vining pea harvest has kicked off and yields are variable, reflecting the variable rainfall.

Pests are also on agronomists’ minds with barley yellow dwarf virus appearing in cereals in Scotland.

In the east, pea aphids are easily found in later drilled crops, and black bean aphids have been found at economically treatable numbers in spring bean crops.

See also: Why understanding soil biology is key to crop health

North

Mary Munro, Munro Agricultural Consultancy (East Lothian)

It transpires that rather a lot of the aphids we saw in East Lothian during the hot dry spell in May were carrying barley yellow dwarf virus.

The immaculate green crops are now showing symptoms of the virus, with yellow bleached flag leaves and brown spots at the feeding sites.

Ironically, insect numbers have declined, and I had nothing at head spray stage that justified an insecticide, so direct damage from aphids feeding on watery ripe grains is likely to be low.

We will just have to see how much impact on yield there is from BYDV. The wheats seem to have got off lighter than spring barley in my region.

It is galling that this pops up when there is no disease to speak of, but at least last year’s hessian fly outbreak has not reappeared. Some wheats have a small amount of mildew at the stem bases, but that is about it.

I have seen yellow rust in spring barley this year for the first time in many years (very low input system, nothing to panic about!).

Ear sprays

Wheat T3 recommendations were 0.5 litres/ha tebuconazole and azoxystrobin at the same rate.

Last year I went with tebuconazole and prothioconazole, but as we are a month ahead of last year, I am hoping to retain some green leaf area with the strobilurin, while also maintaining a front against rust.

Rust has been more of an issue than septoria right through the season.

This is now the agronomists’ least favourite time of year, when all the best-laid plans have either been carried out or ditched, and we wait to see if any weeds or other pests and diseases appear.

I have noticed some rat’s tail fescue at a field margin, and the bromes have definitely enjoyed this year’s weather pattern. Both must be nailed  – and so the plans for next season have already started.

A couple of days at the Highland Show provided a sociable break in scorching conditions.

This time last year I was setting out on my own, and it is hugely satisfying to see how far my business has progressed thanks to the support of my local farmers and customers.

East

Ryan Baker, Frontier (Suffolk/Norfolk)

With pea viners now moving, the start of one harvest has arrived. Yields are variable based upon rainfall after drilling.

The theme of early June appears to be aphids. Pea aphids are easily found in later drilled crops and treatment is advisable to prevent virus spread; transmission is possible even with low numbers of aphids.

Similarly, black bean aphids have been found at economically treatable numbers in spring bean crops.

Rains at the beginning of June helped maintain the potential of the majority of both winter and spring cereal crops.

T3s have now been applied to winter wheats at early flowering to cover ear disease and top up foliar rust control in susceptible varieties.

Aphids have also been found in far greater numbers this year in cereals. Between flowering and grain fill, the threshold for treatment is two in every three tillers having aphids present.

Yellow rust

Earlier this spring, yellow rust started to appear in unexpected varieties.

Yellow rust has overcome the YR15 gene and most of the varieties on the AHDB Recommended List are reliant on YR15 to some degree for yellow rust resistance.

We will know more once the latest AHDB scores are released, this is likely to be based on one-year rather than three-year scores.

On the subject of aphids, there has been an influx of black bean aphid into some beet crops.

Second aphicides for the control of Myzus persicae (peach-potato aphid), such as flonicamid, will also control black bean aphid, which can only transmit beet yellows virus.

Oilseed rape looks to have the potential to be the crop of the year.

Now is the appropriate timing to think about pod sealants, once the pods have reached their maximum size, but are still green and flexible. Ideally, they should be applied separately to glyphosate, this is often around eight weeks prior to harvest.

Glyphosate for desiccation can be timed around four weeks later once two-thirds of the seed in pods on the main raceme is starting to change from green/red to brown.

Where spraying capacity is limited, pod sealants can be applied at the same time as desiccation.

June also brings around trials days and variety tours. Make the most of assessing how varieties have performed in your local geography before making the decision on seed choice for this autumn.

West

Dominic Edmond, Matford Arable (Devon/Cornwall)

This is my last crop watch report for spring 2025, and it coincides well with the agronomy season coming to an end this week.

There are still a few crops left to look at, but generally crop walking has been completed.

It seemed like a mad dash to get round all the maize crops for weeds and spring barley crops for T2s over the past two to three weeks, as growing conditions in Devon and Cornwall have been good.

Maize crops in particular are really on the front foot this year, even though there were a few weeks at the end of May/beginning of June when close to 60mm of rain fell around Exeter and temperatures dropped, it still managed to keep putting on leaf.

At the moment a lot of crops, bar the late drilled ones, have beaten the old “knee high by the fourth of July” gauge by some way, with some chest height, so shaping up for a good year on maize.

Weed control has been more straightforward with pre-emergence applications working well, but most received a mop up post-emergence spray.

Spring barley

Spring barley is a little bit all over the place in terms of potential, I seem to have too many crops where you could watch a rabbit run through the drill lines, not having tillered enough.

Fertiliser timings were key this year, too many crops ended up waiting for the fertiliser to be washed in. Disease control has been pretty good, although there are some crops with enough net blotch evident.

Most winter wheat crops received a T3 application as flowering coincided with unsettled weather.

Wheats are still looking clean from septoria, and recent rains have saved them from getting a bit drought stressed and will help maximise yield.

Winter barleys have continued to blossom and look really good, to the point where you ended up driving past some heavy crops after recent rains with bated breath, knowing that some were heavy enough to start to lodge.

Thankfully, most have held up.

I’m very aware we have been lucky in the deep South West with the weather this season.

Just enough rain, at the critical points in the season, to help 80-90% of the crops through to a harvest we shouldn’t be too nervous of. Let us all hope for a dry harvest period.

South

Justin Smith, Procam (East Sussex)

Harvest is rapidly approaching and if I was to sum up the season in one word it would be “surprising”.

I have been pleasantly surprised how well some of the crops look despite receiving so little rain.

However, despite all the challenges, I am not surprised at how resilient and adaptable UK growers and producers have yet again been in the face of such extremes.

The weather in the South East has continued to be dominated by sun, only interspersed with the very occasional thundery downpour.

From a grain-fill perspective, you could argue that June is the most important month of the whole cropping calendar.

With most of our season-long crop management focused towards this one point – to provide a clean crop to maximise the plant’s ability to harness the sun’s energy and deliver a bold sample – I, for one, have been grateful that the weather has remained constant.

Despite the fear of late-season brown rust, many winter wheats remain clean from disease with the simple use of robust but cheap programmes.

However, to ensure grain samples are not compromised by late weed flushes, many winter and spring cereal crops will still need to be walked to discuss pre-harvest desiccation decisions.

Oilseed rape

My winter oilseed rape has only recently received a pod sealant, and awaits the usual pre-harvest desiccation when 80-90% of seeds have reached maturity.

Many spring bean crops have seen a late migration of black bean aphid. With numerous of these having reached thresholds, they have reluctantly needed an aphicide, although this has been made as beneficial-friendly as possible.

The forage maize crops that continue to receive adequate moisture are starting to fly in this temperate climate.

In some situations, the saying “knee high by the fourth of July” is being replaced with “waist high by the fourth of July”.

I hope harvest remains dry for all, and as my old farm governor used to write in his Christmas card to me: “Next year will surely be better!”