As the fourth week of April arrives, the weather remains highly variable with below-average temperatures for this time of the year.

Like the weather, wheat growth stages are variable and this is making it tricky to get T1 fungicide timings right. Read the latest updates from our agronomists.

See also: Soil conditioner trial lifts vining pea yields by nearly 40%

East

Marion Self
AICC/Prime Agriculture (Suffolk)

Unsettled and windy weather conditions continue to challenge progress as growers take advantage of every opportunity to keep on top of their work.

Crops are largely standing up to the variable spring weather. However, many are showing transient signs of stress and damage.

Soft growth is being affected by wide daily ranges in temperature and leaf de-waxing by strong winds and hail.

All this, while growers target robust mixes at critical timings. There’s a bit of scorch about!

As winter cereals move into stem extension and build canopy they look more robust.

Many late-drilled crops are now growing well, but with smaller root systems they are fragile and will be vulnerable if conditions are dry.

For this season it is critical to evaluate continually the yield potential of all crops; finely balance the crop’s requirement to reach its potential without overspending.

We need to manage risk with a sharp pencil to ensure the best return on investment, without missing the important inputs. 

Growth stages vary between crops depending on drill date, although these differences are reducing as day length now has a large influence on speed of development.

Wheat growth stage

Late-September drilled wheats now have final leaf 3 emerging (the target for the T1 fungicide timing) while some late December/January drilled crops are only just at early stem extension. Individual crops need checking carefully for correct input timing.

Septoria development has been encouraged by recent showery conditions; again infection is strongly influenced by the interaction between temperature, variety and drilling date. 

In susceptible varieties yellow rust pressure remains high, however, most infections are now under control with recently applied T0 as well as T1 treatments.

It is important to stay focused on this disease and apply timely treatment to prevent reinfection.

Some winter barley crops have been tipped by a combination of weather conditions and tighter spray applications forced closer together by reduced opportunities.

These crops are now expected to grow fast. Don’t miss the chance to get final growth regulator treatments onto these.

As spring barleys approach early stem extension they will be ready to receive herbicide, fungicide and micronutrient treatments.

Again, try to be kind to all tender barley crops; even if another pass is necessary to split treatments.

Spring crops are establishing reasonably well despite the unkind weather, but where growth is slow monitor them carefully for pest damage.

Slugs are active in heavier, cloddy seed-beds especially following cover crops as well as where the soil has received less cultivation to prepare seed-beds.

West

Antony Wade
Hillhampton Technical Services (Hereford/Shropshire)

At last we have a had a run of 10 days of dry weather – the first for six months it seems. It is amazing how with a bit of sun and a run of wind ground conditions have dried out.

There are still wet areas in some fields which are catching some fertiliser spreaders and sprayers out.

It has dried enough for some progress to be made on spring drilling and by the time this article is published beans, barley and oats will be drilled into relatively good seed-beds considering the amount of rain we have had in the last six months.

The delay in planting spring crops means they will need some kind weather to get them away to a good start. What they don’t need is an extreme dry spell.

Autumn crops are an even more “mixed bag” than usual. I am usually confident that even thin crops of OSR have the ability to compensate and fill the space in a sparse plant population such that by flowering, large multi-racemed plants make it difficult to differentiate from the better areas.

Not this season. Those thin wet areas have gone backwards and poorly rooted plants flowering on one main raceme have in places been lent over by the wind. Root lodging in OSR is another unwelcome first for the season.

Delays to getting fertiliser on have resulted in many main raceme dominated crops with lower than optimum canopies.

We have to hope that the seed filling period has plenty of sunlight to allow those thin crops to over achieve yield building which is all formed post-flowering in OSR.

Flowering fungicide

Sclerotinia protection has to be cost-effectively matched to yield potential, especially as sclerotinia risk forecasts don’t take account of spore germination potential in saturated soils we have had in many fields well into April.

Delays to fertiliser applications and wet conditions have caused similar issues in winter barley crops with poor tillereing and the the main tiller “bolting”, with only a few T0 plant growth regulators applied.

This has meant T1s with significant levels of PGR and foliar nutrition, but with cooler weather there is a concern that we won’t get an as-effective growth check to reduce lodging risk.

Rhynchosporium levels are high, mildew and brown rust have lessened in recent weeks, but a robust dose of Ascra (bixafen + fluopyram + prothioconazole) has been used as the response to early fungicide inputs in barley is strong.

Wheat falls into three bags: “Normal”; “patchy we might as well keep it”; and “at least it emerged” crops.

However, delays to grassweed control may compromise the yield potential of any of these crops, as many have only just been sprayed due to weather and ground condition delays.

T1 decisions have been made with yield potential in mind, so the full range of fungicide options we have will have to be used by early May, some of the “normal” crops will have already been applied by the time this goes to print.

Levels of septoria and eyespot are high, mildew and yellow rust have lessened in their prevalence in the past month, but will increase when the weather warms up, so all scenarios have to be covered.

T1 timing is even more challenging than normal with this wide range of crop conditions. It has been tempting to rush to apply in this recent weather window, but I prefer leaf 3 to be fully out with some leaf 2 emerging on main tillers, which means other tillers will also have leaf 3 emerging.

North

Conor Campbell
Hutchinsons (Northumberland)

While the weather is showing signs of improvement, crop conditions still provide a challenge with regards to inputs and how best to treat them.

The past six months have taken their toll on all of us, and morale is being tested.

We are a very resilient industry, but even the most resilient can struggle, so if you are struggling, then please talk to friends, family, neighbours.

We won’t get through this as individuals, but as a team!

As conditions improve, it’s nice to see tractors back in the fields again. There has been a lot of nitrogen applied in the last week as we play catch-up with applications.

Crops are understandably stressed, and I think it’s important to pick what we apply to them and when. A measured approach is important while these crops recover.

Winter barleys are around growth stage 31 and ready for their main T1 application. This will unavoidably be a heavy tank mix as we try to tackle everything in one go.

Disease pressure is moderate in the crops I’m walking, rhynchosporium and net blotch are the focus, with some brown rust.

Wheat fungicides

Wheats are all over the place, which makes timings a nightmare. I have everything from growth stage 29 to seemingly nearly ready for T1, so organising the workload is interesting.

It’s important to not apply T1s too early, otherwise the gap to T2 will be stretched.

Personally, I am leaving grassweed herbicides on stressed crops for now. It’s finding the balance between doing a good job on the weeds, but not compromising the crop.

Oilseed rapes are extremely variable depending on ground conditions and cabbage stem flea beetle larvae pressure.

With the aim of balancing workload, I’m not rushing into them if we haven’t been on already.

I will catch them at early flower once we’ve broken the back of the workload and then review this again at mid-flower for the better crops.

An important point in the cereals is the noticeable apical dominance, where the main stem shoots away leaving the tillers behind.

There may be a temptation to leave out plant growth regulators as crops look stressed. This is a false economy and will come back to haunt at harvest.

They will help balance out the plant and allow the nutrition to the tillers, but also encourage rooting which is greatly needed after the wet weather.

The skill is in the product choice and the rate, so this will need to be tailored across the farm.

South

Tod Hunnisett
AICC (Sussex)

We’ve finally had longer than three days without rain and it’s good to have been stuck behind tractors on the road on their way to getting some field work done.

Fertiliser going on, drilling taking place and the odd bit of spraying, but the incessant rain appears to have been replaced by howling gales, so many recommendations have been delayed or amended.

Some crops have weathered the winter better than others, even on the same soil type, and I’m convinced that soil structure has a lot to do with it.

One place in my patch that has suffered badly, but purely because of unprecedented levels of rainfall, is the Isle of Wight.

In 20 years-plus of working there, I have never seen ponding, washing and general water damage like it. I don’t go to the Eastern Counties, but I gather it’s pretty bad there too.

Oilseed rape

Oilseed rape has raced through flowering this year. As I write a number of crops are coming to the end; some have not long had their stem-extension fungicide.

In general, they look quite healthy – if the rooting zone is in good condition they don’t appear too upset by the weather we’ve had.

On Friday last (19 April) I saw my first awns appearing in Tardis winter barley in East Kent.

The crop didn’t look particularly stressed so I don’t think it had gone into “Help I’m dying” emergency mode.

It’s strange to think that my next visit may well be putting it to bed. An odd concept given that some of the spring crops in the same area (like spring linseed and maize) might not even be coming through the ground yet.

I have a question to ask. If SFI stands for “Sustainable Farming Incentive”, why might it be capped for fears about food security? What is sustainable (or farming) about that?