Phoma is now being seen in northern crops with Andy Goulding reporting symptoms in varieties with lower resistance, which will be targeted with a fungicide.

Symptoms are also being seen further south in Sussex and Suffolk, but both Marion Self and Richard Harding add they are slowly developing.

Ms Self also highlights the patchy emergence of later drilled wheat which will make timing of barley yellow dwarf virus treatments more tricky in crops drilled without a seed dressing.

See also: Oilseed rape crops at high risk from light leaf spot

Also in later-drilled wheat, Stephen Harrison fears that despite strong pre-emergence programmes, there may still be a substantial emergence of blackgrass.

North: Andy Goulding

CAS/Hutchinsons (Cheshire and north Wales)

Drilling operations have enjoyed an un-interrupted period for another year with the campaign coming to an end.

Without wishing for the minus teens of 2010 upon us, let us hope for some picturesque hard frosts which have been sorely missed of late.

This would bring some much welcomed assistance to the fight against our virus vectors.

Aphicides are due on some of the earliest drilled Deter-treated (clothianidin) crops and with a bit of luck, I’d like to think this will see them through the risk period.

Cereal crops that have emerged are slow to develop, but moisture is available in the shallow rooting zone.

Cloddy seed-beds have suffered losses through predation while some are just a bit behind with poorer seed-to-soil contact.

A useful exercise to carry out over winter is to calculate the percentage loss of plants.

It is a key factor that can often be overlooked, particularly in barley and oats with their limited ability to compensate for lack of plants.

Although conditions aren’t perfect for slugs to be on the rampage, vigilance must be retained as there are still crops being steadily damaged and it’s these fields at a young stage which are most vulnerable.

Cover crops of all manner of species, drill date and establishment method have gone in, and it will be very interesting for us all to monitor these and their effectiveness in the following spring.

With Rothamsted’s forecast of 10% of plants having phoma leaf lesions being long surpassed, some crops with lower varietal resistance are now showing symptoms and will be targeted with a fungicide.

Growth regulatory effects will not be high priority, as crops at a good growth stage.

Instead, the focus will be on light leaf spot, as autumn control can often be the driver to success in the spring.

South: Richard Harding

ProCam (Sussex)

The weather here in the South remains dry, warm and settled – certainly perfect for crop walking and with wind speed being the only temporary disruption to spraying.

Conditions on the Downs have been perfect for drilling winter beans which have either had, or are shortly due to receive their pre-emergence herbicide.

A mix of pendimethalin + prosulfacarb is being used where resistant blackgrass isn’t yet a problem.

Early sown cereals are all emerging well with many already at the 2-3 leaf stage.

Aphid numbers are still relatively low for this time of year, but colonies can now be found in the more forward crops, especially in sheltered fields.

Barley yellow dwarf virus control measures are in place, but I will be monitoring closely as even low numbers of aphids can continue to spread and transmit the virus.

There are now some good signs of efficacy from the pre-emergence herbicides applied earlier in the month.

Conditions are excellent for follow-up residual chemistry in difficult blackgrass situations to control high populations.

These will, hopefully, be applied pre-emergence of any further flushes of grassweeds for best effect and, ideally, before any get to one or two leaves.

A residual partner such as flufenacet/diflufenican, pendimethalin/picolinafen or prosulfocarb will be included alongside the contact material.

In oilseed rape, phoma is now present in crops, but is slow to build to the threshold levels of 10-20% plants infected.

As levels were generally high in many crops last year, it is likely that light leaf spot infection levels will be substantial for this autumn.

A key timing for light leaf spot control/prevention is in November when the first lesions appear.

This can often fit in with the propyzamide application timing.

However, the most recent Kerb weather data is still suggesting soils will still be too warm to get good persistence from propyzamide just yet.

East: Marion Self

Prime Agriculture (Suffolk)

The landscape is green again. Dry conditions have allowed growers to complete their planned autumn drilling and spray applications.

September and early October drilled first wheats and barley drilled into tilth and moist seed-beds have established well.

However, autumn showers have been few and localised, leaving some crops unseasonably dry with a few agronomic concerns.

Growers deliberately delaying drilling to wait for moisture to achieve better seed-beds, improve pre-emergence herbicide performance or waiting for a flush of blackgrass have now largely pushed on to complete drilling before an expected change to wet weather.

Emergence of these crops has often been patchy and slow due to dry and sometimes cloddy seed-beds; although as yet any un-emerged seed appears viable.

Where Deter (clothianidin) seed treatment has not been used (often second and later drilled wheats) unevenness of establishment is making the timing of foliar barley yellow dwarf virus control trickier.

In these circumstances, don’t leave the early emerged portion of crop exposed to infection while waiting for the dry areas to emerge, as crops will need protection at the one to two leaf stage.

A swift follow up treatment may be required to protect both ends of the emergence spectrum.

Deter-treated crops sown in mid-September may also require a top up with a foliar treatment eight to 10 weeks after drilling (mid -November) if aphids continue to migrate in mild conditions.

The main blackgrass flush is now under way and disappointingly (although not unexpected), in some fields strong blackgrass populations are emerging despite heavy pre-emergence programmes.

Grassweeds might look affected, but in these circumstances, control has been poor due to dry soil conditions.

In hindsight, the continued dry conditions would have allowed later drilling dates.

Where autumn post-emergence contacts are scheduled these will work better on moist soils, but should be completed while the weed is still actively growing before the cold.

Phoma is developing slowly in untreated crops, but as products give stronger protectant activity, outstanding treatments should be applied soon.

Some crops will receive a split autumn fungicide treatment with a follow-up treatment in tank mixed with the propyzamide.

West: Stephen Harrison

AICC (Avon)

It’s the last day of October and drilling is virtually complete.

Even wheat after maize cut at 30% grain moisture for crimping is in the ground. 

Most of the wheat was drilled in a tight band between mid- and late October.

My main fear is that blackgrass has been slow to chit and despite strong pre-emergence programmes, there may still be a substantial emergence in the crop. 

Very little post-emergence treatments have been applied save for some heavy brome infestations.

All crops are still within the Deter (clothianidin) protection window, therefore, insecticide timings will coincide well with the majority of herbicide treatments.

Winter barley will need a separate treatment as all our herbicide has gone on pre-emergence.

In contrast to the parched East, we have had reasonable moisture to kick things off and slugs have not been a significant issue in wheat or oilseed rape.

We have not lost any crops to flea beetle and peach potato aphid (Myzus persicae) numbers are very low. 

Worryingly for the future, there are occasional areas affected by cabbage root fly and a few sawfly larvae are still hanging in there.

Phoma levels are low and no crops have been found at threshold yet. Big plants mean the disease will take a long time to migrate down the petioles. 

At least a 75% dose of Refinzar (penthiopyrad + picoxystrobin) or Proline (prothioconazole) will be applied with the propyzamide. 

Winter bean planting is under way with seed going in under excellent conditions.

All winter beans will have a powerful pre-emergence based on propyzamide, pendimethalin + clomazone.

I am hearing a few reports of stem nematode infestation in home-saved seed so make sure yours is tested.