I looked back on my last Crop Watch entry when I mentioned “exceptional” mild autumn weather and in danger of repeating myself, I can only describe the winter in a similar vein. Or is “exceptional” the new “normal” for our weather – I suspect it might be.

Whilst we in the West have been wetter than average, it has not been anywhere near the truly exceptional rain experienced in some parts of the country, which has been devastating. I’m sure the spirit and resilience of these communities will get them through it.

In the black oat cover crops we planted on a number of farms ahead of spring cropping to mitigate against soil erosion in these extreme rainfall events, the fibrous root system has done a fantastic job in stabilising the soil, whilst improving structure and have even been dry enough to lightly graze with sheep (see below).

We certainly have some crops that have responded to the mild conditions and the lack of winter. Many wheat and barley crops have high tiller numbers and soft, large leaf area, as they have never really stopped growing. They are going to require some careful nitrogen and plant growth regulator (PGR) timing early in the season unless we get a sustained period of cold weather.

Disease levels are building in both crops due to the lack of any significant cold weather to check progress, combined with ample rain splash events. In wheat, with above average leaf canopies, it will be the rainfall in the next 4-6 weeks that will drive how strong a T0 strategy we will need against our main threat of septoria. Winter barley with high levels of disease is of more concern, as we know we must keep as many tillers as possible to maximise yield potential, so these will probably get a low dose fungicide in with the first split of PGR to quell early disease that impacts on tiller numbers and formation of ear primordial.

Although we were fairly successful in getting on residual herbicides and they have generally worked well, especially on broad-leaved weeds, but the mild conditions have allowed brome and wild oats to continue growing and contact herbicides are now a priority as soon as we can travel. A benefit of getting these on ahead of T0 is that it removes the complication of tank mixes, particularly with pyroxsulam products and PGRs, therefore optimising the herbicide activity on the target weed.

Oilseed rape crops are equally strong and forward, with some buds becoming obvious on plants in some of my crops before the end of January. Let’s hope we don’t get a cold snap. These forward crops will certainly be past the buds visible stage before 1st March, so any further cleaver control with Galera (clopyralid + picloram) will be impossible.

Large canopies will need managing by delaying nitrogen, but this is often compromised by the crop height impeding fertiliser spread patterns if delayed too long, so a PGR will be used in addition. Where we managed to get a single autumn fungicide on there is some phoma re-infection, but on large crops this pathogen will have less impact on yield. Incubation of leaves collected recently is showing low levels of light leaf spot lesions developing, so that will be the focus of the next fungicide.

So whilst doing crop inspections last week in the wind, with not too much rain, the top soil was drying out and we were even considering the prospect of starting some of the priority jobs. Some were even thinking about planting spring crops, but as I sit writing this article with rain hitting the window, 35mm in the gauge and the lawn looking more like a paddling pool, that may have put those thoughts on hold for a couple of more weeks.

So let’s have some ‘normal’ weather, as I for one am getting a little tired of ‘exceptional’ weather – not least writing about it!