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All Crop Watch news

Agronomists from all areas of the UK report weekly on their crop management from establishment to harvest. Keep up-to-date with their progress and the latest crop developments as the growing season progresses and key decisions on disease, pest and weed control have to be made.

ARABLE

Crop Watch: Potato harvest and BYDV aphid alert

The warm conditions continue and aphids are easy to find in establishing cereal crops, so barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is firmly on the radar.  Potato crops in Northern Ireland…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: OSR hit by flea beetle and lack of moisture

The dreaded flea beetle seems to be back this season and, coupled with dry conditions, is hammering crops, especially those that were drilled later. Cereal drilling is also under way…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: OSR desiccation and early start to barley harvest

Harvest is approaching for winter barley and oilseed rape. Key challenges include weeds, pests and yellow rust, alongside uneven growth from weather extremes, but overall yields look mixed with cautious…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Late beet emergence and cereal leaf roller moth

This week, the key topics include 10-week delayed sugar beet emergence, the first season since the 1960s managing potato disease without mancozeb and wheat fields in the East seeing damage…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: High aphid numbers in peas and wheat

A change to more unsettled weather has brought an increased disease risk and high numbers of aphids on wheat ears and in pea crops. See also: Caithness farmer grows over…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Bank Holiday heatwave adds to crop stress

This week's sunny spell is helping boost grain fill in winter barley crops, while counties in the South and East are in need of rain to revitalise crop growth. Here's…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Variable spring barleys and weeds in potatoes

This week, our agronomists discuss the variability of spring barley crops, with some having patchy emergence and are struggling. And in Scotland, potato planting is nearing completion and the focus…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: BYDV strategy needs rethink and wheat T2 sprays

Barley yellow dwarf virus is becoming evident in cereals crops, resulting from the high aphid pressure being seen this spring.  Also this week, our agronomists discuss T2 fungicide options in…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Struggling beet and yellow rust in the South

Winter crops on light land and spring crops are suffering in the dry conditions. In the East, one agronomist described sugar beet as having a “torrid time” with some fields…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Protecting OSR yields and weevil damage in pulses

This week's key discussions include protecting yields in flowering OSR crops, fertiliser strategies for milling wheat and the severe pea and bean weevil attacks in the north.  See also: How…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: South lacks rain as disease bites in Scotland

Farmers across the UK are seeing huge contrasts this spring. Concerns are growing in the South and East, where some rain is needed, while in Scotland, it’s the opposite problem…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Stressed cereal crops and potato planting

Large variations in temperature, with warm days and cold nights, has slowed crop growth and care is needed not to check crops with fertiliser and fungicide applications. In the East,…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Flowering OSR sprays and septoria in wheat

This week is set to see the hottest weather of the year so far, with temperatures into the 20s for some parts of the UK. Oilseed rape is now in…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Spring drilling and T1 wheat fungicide strategies

A return to colder temperatures and unsettled weather are adding to challenges of managing forward cereals crops and staying on top of the disease pressure.  Our Crop Watch agronomists report…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Spring drilling progress as wheat T0 timing looms

Farmers Weekly‘s Crop Watch agronomists keep us up to date with spring fieldwork, after a spell of sunshine which has seen fertiliser applications and spring drilling progress well. See also: Advice…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Hopes for drier weather and wheat T0 strategies

Farmer and agronomists are hoping for a more settled spell of weather, as the continuing damp conditions are hampering fieldwork. Septoria and yellow rust are being found in wheat crops…