Time to plant: Many growers have sensibly held off planting in an effort to minimise the additional costs associated with September drilling. As we enter October, it is time to get winter crops planted. Soils are relatively warm but they can cool quickly.

For some growers, the priority is to get crops harvested or straw removed. Many of these will be salvage. If you need to get land planted and straw is still present, you may need to chop and incorporate to get rid of it. This is not an easy task as it is difficult to get an even spread. It can also be difficult to get a good chop where straw is wet. If you do chop, then you should incorporate.

It may still be a bit early to plant in southern regions.

Winter rape: There has been some serious slug activity in places in recent weeks so crops need to be watched. Watch out for flea beetle damage also as a serious attack could be fatal for the crop. Earlier sown crops should be past the stage of serious threat now but rape crops have been sown up to recently.

It is essential to be able to differentiate between the two causes of damage. Slugs eat everything, normally from the edge in. The flea beetle just eats a puncture hole and damage is most severe when this happens to a high degree on the cotyledon before true leaves are established.

Volunteer cereals are already visible in established crops and these must be controlled using a graminicide. Other grass weeds like bromes or canary grass or wild oats may also need to be controlled.

Apply a graminicide such as Stratos Ultra, Aramo, Fusilade Max or Falcon once grass weeds are visible. Low rates can work on very young seedlings.

Stubbles and BYDV: Aphids are still likely to be on the wing so we must consider BYDV as a serious risk. This is being magnified by the level of regrowth of volunteers in many stubble fields.

Such habitats provide material to be infected now and this will make the subsequent transmission of virus easy in the days, weeks and months ahead. This volunteer regrowth can also act as a reservoir for many foliar diseases.

Planting: Ground conditions are reasonable to good, but variable. Complete winter barley planting first and move on to wheat and oats. It is wise to use Redigo Deter seed treatment for early aphid control but the benefit decreases in most areas as we plant into October.

Drill winter barley at up to 350 seeds/m2 or 160-190kg/ha (10-12st/ac) depending on seed size; winter wheat at 200 to 250 seeds/m2 or around 125-140kg/ha (8-9st/ac); and winter oats at around 350 seeds/m2 or 130-150kg/ha (8-9.5st/ac).

Roll post-planting to help germination, establishment, pest control, residual spray activity and to prevent root roll lodging. Where possible, roll across hills to help prevent water erosion. Don’t roll if conditions are not good enough.