It’s time to shut the gate.  Despite the recent unsettled and blowy weather most growers have all but completed their scheduled autumn sprays.

As temeratures fall and crop growth slows oppurtunities for any remaining autumn/winter Atlantis applications will be rare.  However, applications made in December and January have worked well after a spell of mild weather, i.e. after a long enough period to encourage plant growth (keep watching the lawn).

Aphid flight has only recently declined so outstanding straight aphid treatments on cereals or in rapeseed tank mixes may still be worthwhile.  For example later drilled wheat crops which were green before mid November should still be treated to control established colonies which could survive a mild winter.

In rapeseed cooling soil conditions are ideal for the completion of propyzamide (e.g. Kerb Flo) and carbetamide (e.g. Crawler) applications.  These residuals work best in moist soils which hold the active in the top few centimeters of soil where the weeds are  germinating. 

However, applications should not be made to water logged soils, soafter heavy rain wait until the land drains stop running.  Growersshould always be mindful of the implications of the EU Drinking WaterDirective and must steward these applications to minimise run off andpesticides in suface water so that we can prolong their valuble use.

Over the next few months growers should be calculating their N maxfor individual crops and planning their field by field fertiliserapplications for next spring.  At least this can be done in the warmand dry!

For more blog postings click here. And why not sugn up for regular email alerts.