The weather continues to dominate with few spring crops planted and planned herbicide and fungicide sprays badly behind schedule.

One question being increasingly asked as mid-April approaches, is “when is it too late to drill spring barley?”

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer with fallowing being more appropriate in some situations. Read the latest update from our agronomists.

See also: Gene-edited potatoes edge closer to tackling sector challenges

West Neil Potts

Matford Arable (Devon)

The weather continues to dominate everything in the South West. As with most of the rest of the UK we continue to experience relentless rainfall.

Very few spring crops have so far been planted and planned herbicide and T0 applications to winter cereals are well behind schedule.

This whole situation is being exacerbated by the fact that conditions are mild and crops on average are about a week ahead of where they would normally be for the time of year.

The weather, however, pales into insignificance compared to the price of grain both current and projected.

Add to this some crazy options on the Sustainable Farming Incentive and the Environment Agency being very active on farms and throwing their weight around in a most unhelpful manner and the industry is facing some pretty severe challenges for 2024.

I am amazed that the UK’s farmers have not been protesting on the same scale as our European counterparts.

They are being expected to produce grain (and other farm commodities) to Red Tractor standards with all the cost that process incurs, while having to compete on price with Black Sea wheat that is not produced to the same standard and is often grown using crop protection products  no longer sanctioned in the UK.

How can this be either right or fair, and more to the point how can the UK government allow this to happen?

If they are serious about food and environmental standards and food security, then this is a problem that seriously needs addressing.

Standards

Quality assurance, when introduced in the wake of the BSE crisis was all about traceability, which is fine.

But now Red Tractor inspections have become a bit of a joke with non-compliances that have nothing to do with the traceability or quality or production standards being handed out as new standards are applied each year to ensure those carrying out the inspections continue to have a job.

These views may seem a little radical, but I am picking up on farm, on a daily basis, that most farmers are fed up with taking a kicking all the time, with many good farmers now seriously considering their future in the industry.

Our farmers are the lifeblood of this country, and we treat them with contempt at our peril.

Particularly this season, they have enough to contend with dealing with the weather without having to cope with a heavy-handed bureaucracy.

I hope by the time I next write that we will have had the opportunity to start seriously managing some of the crops that are so desperately in need of some well-timed inputs.

Many wheat crops are now showing very heavy septoria infections and we all know how difficult this disease can be to control once it is well established in a crop.

We will certainly need a dry spell to help us in the 2024 battle against this disease.

South: Iain Richards

Agrii (Oxfordshire)

As spring progresses, we are increasingly optimistic about the prospects for some crops, especially oilseed rape and the earlier drilled wheat, which will need looking after if they are to fulfil their potential.

However, the weather continues to challenge the establishment of spring barley and our efforts to revive backwards winter wheat.

About 40% of our planned spring barley area has been planted, with considerable variation between farms.

Some have more than 80% in the ground, and others have yet to start.

The question for the undrilled land is when it will be too late for spring barley.

We believe it is still more important how the crop is established than when, and we intend to avoid creating legacy issues for the following crops, especially as most of our spring barley is followed by oilseed rape where good establishment is critical.

Last year, we saw crop effects from pre-emergence herbicides on spring barley, and this year, it concerns us again.

Due to the ground conditions, most crops will not be rolled to consolidate the seed-beds, increasing the risk of herbicide damage.

We will not plan a pre-emergence on the fields with lower blackgrass pressure, and they will rely on the suppression effect of a contact-acting post-emergence herbicide before the crop closes in.

Blackgrass is still emerging in the worst fields, so these will have to receive the usual pre-emergence programme.

Emerging blackgrass

On the whole, our oilseed rape looks excellent. The first flowers are appearing on the main raceme, and they have branched really well.

All of our crops have had their second dose of nitrogen and a plant growth regulator (PGR) at stem extension, which, along with the colder weather at the end of March, has helped check the growth of the main raceme and branch the crop.

Lower plant populations in the autumn and a mild winter have meant most plants have a large collar on the main stem, limiting the impact of any cabbage stem feal beetle larvae present.

In wheat, the first T0s began in the third week of March.

These have tended to be applied to the earlier drilled crops at around growth stage 30.

Active septoria is visible, which is no surprise considering the rainfall and mild temperatures.

Many of these crops look promising, especially on the more freely draining soils.

We’re particularly positive about milling wheat in this situation, where the current premiums and reduced nitrogen price should deliver good returns.

There is much less disease on the more backward wheat, where our focus is on PGRs and nutrition.

Alongside the PGR, these are due to receive a healthy dose of manganese, zinc, and phosphite to encourage rooting.

Ahead of T1, we will be looking closely at the levels of eyespot in crops as the conditions have favoured this disease.

If we keep the current weather pattern, we may have to invest more in T1 sprays to keep on top of the disease. Disease levels will be monitored closely as we progress through the month.

North: David Martindale

Arable Alliance (Yorkshire)

The weather during the past month has continued to frustrate.

Significant delays to the sowing of spring crops has been the main consequence with spray and fertiliser applications often interrupted by deteriorating weather conditions.

The question “How late can I sow?” has been asked several times and often there is no definite answer.

To be confident of achieving a respectable yield the remaining sowing time is days rather than weeks.

The decision is now whether to risk a late-sown spring crop or have a reset and leave as fallow for a first wheat next year.

Crops that have been sown are beginning to emerge and any patchy emergence is mainly due to compaction caused by wheeling damage.

At least the frequent rainfall events will aid the efficacy of pre-em herbicides applied to spring beans and cereals, and nitrogen fertiliser has been immediately washed into the soil for rapid crop uptake.

Many oilseed rape crops have continued to struggle, with some deteriorating further due to damage from cabbage stem flea beetle larvae.

Add to this high pigeon grazing, compaction issues and waterlogged soils, and it looks like we will have a very disappointing oilseed rape season.

Pub bragging rights are often reserved for those who have the highest yields.

However, these rights should be extended to anyone who has a good crop of oilseed rape this season.

The few better crops are now flowering and consideration will soon be given to sclerotinia control.

Thankfully, there have been some significant price reductions to azole and strobilurin fungicides which will allow for a more modest spend compared with previous years.

Backward OSR

At the other extreme backward oilseed rape crops still remain vulnerable to pollen beetle damage.

This is rarely an issue in this area, however, pollen beetle numbers are beginning to rise so use established thresholds before applying an insecticide.

Winter wheat crops have improved since taking up the first dose of nitrogen fertiliser.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are currently being applied with only a fungicide added for yellow rust control on susceptible varieties.

On crops yet to receive any herbicides so far, there is often a vast array of broad-leaved weeds present, so herbicides are often being added to the PGR mix.

There has been more wheat bulb fly damage than usual this year with affected fields often sown after vining peas or potatoes.

In earlier sown wheat crops the damage is unlikely to cause yield reductions due to there being sufficient tillers.

However, this is not always the case with later sown crops.

Winter barley crops generally look well due to being sown earlier than many winter wheat crops.

The main T1 fungicides are now being applied with brown rust and net blotch the main diseases to be controlled.

Winter rye crops are rapidly racing through their growth stages.

Brown rust is so far at low levels. An azole fungicide has been added to the PGR to keep it under control as this disease can quickly change from looking inconspicuous to being a major problem.

East: Ben Pledger

Farmacy (Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire)

With recent drying winds, the ground had dried sufficiently to allow spring drilling on heavier land.

It is tempting, especially this year, to get as much drilled as possible to recoup for reduced acreages drilled back in the autumn.

However, thought needs to be put in to make sure that what is being drilled at the moment will actually turn a profit.

It may feel like the right thing to establish crops to soothe the mind, but it they are only going to make a loss is this the right thing to do?

Is this spring the right time to fallow some land, tackle some blackgrass, improve drainage and set the land up for a good entry into an autumn-drilled crop?

Also, along this line of thinking now is the time to identify thinner areas of autumn-drilled crops where further spend on these areas throughout the spring will lead to these areas making a loss.

Better to halt inputs on these areas now and again have a look at remediating soil structure and reducing weed burdens.

Septoria

Septoria tritici can be found in pretty much every field of wheat irrespective of variety and drilling date.

With the forecast drier weather it can be easy to belittle the level of infection, even in crops with a good disease rating for it.

With a good range of different active ingredients to control the disease on the market this spring, ensure that your T1 fungicide to protect leaf 3 includes control of septoria so that a fire engine approach isn’t needed if the disease starts moving up the crop.

Fluxapyroxad has been the well-established go to molecule here, but with others such as mefentrifluconazole, fenpicoxamid and isoflucipram relatively new on the scene, mixing up actives within the fungicide programme will help guard against disease resistance.