The last few days have seen a dramatic change in all crops with a lot of cereal crops  now at the T0 stage, and the decision has to be made as how to proceed with tank mixes.

From my perspective, where I was hoping to include a PGR before stem extension for root promotion, I now feel that where Atlantis is to go on. This won’t happen as the priority must be the grass control.

This will mean that the PGR programme will be all done at T1 which I am aiming to be within three weeks of the T0.

Disease, apart from Septoria, is not showing as yet, though the majority of varieties this year are rust prone and I don’t believe the inoculum has gone away because of the cold weather.

Triazoles are a must at T0. Some fields are now showing “deadheart” symptoms from wheat bulb fly invasion and these need to be monitored carefully as the egg hatch as been so protracted.

The product now must be a dimethoate one as it is the one that can get into the plant and kill the maggot. An addition of a leicithin based adjuvant will help the penetration of the product for faster kill.

The majority of beet is in and sprayed as are the peas and beans, and generally all have gone in to good seedbeds. I have found slugs in some sugar fields already and these have been treated. Quite a lot of “red wheat” has been drilled in my area and if it does as well as last year will prove to be a good spring alternative for those who grow it.

Rape is now looking better and starting to move away from some of the pests that have been attacking it, even the late germinating crops are now showing green. Remember the latest growth stages for products such as Fox and Galera are now fast approaching. Light leaf spot, if there, will need treating sooner rather than later but if the crop is small then be wary of using a product that has a PGR effect.