Real spring weather

This is the time for spring – let’s hope is stays for two to three weeks. Ground is dry or drying and people are chomping at the bit to get something done. It is always amazing how quickly some land can dry out and how long it can take other land to be ready for cultivation.

Recent sunshine and heat have driven growth and earlier crops have moved well into stem extension, while hungry crops look hungrier. Oats are even more advanced. Many forward crops are GS30/31 and some are even at GS32.

In general, active disease levels are low but there is a lot of old mildew about and there is also an amount of yellow, brown and crown rust infections which need to be watched.

Early sown spring crops have emerged well, with only a few problems reported.

Planting

Don’t compromise on seedbed conditions. Combine-drilling and a good firm seedbed make a good start for all crops. It is by no means late yet but any remaining beans should be sown this week. The same could be said of spring wheat and spring oats.

Early April planting does not necessarily bring a reduction in yield potential for spring barley but it is essential that they get a good start. Having a fine firm seedbed helps to delay or prevent a transient trace element deficiency which could hit yield potential.

Seed rates should always be influenced by ground conditions and seed size. Get any remaining beans drilled ASAP – target 35 seeds/m2 – 175-210kg/ha (11-13st/ac) for 450g to 550g TGW seed. Soil pH should be up close to 7.0 for beans.

Plant spring wheat at about 330-350 seeds/m2 or 150-165 kg/ha (9.5-10.5st/ac) using 45-50g TGW seed. Drill barley at 350-375 seeds/m2 to establishing 300-330 plants/m2 – 160-175kg/ha (10-11st/ac) for 45g TGW seed. Target oats at about 400 seeds/m2, 160kg/ha (10st/ac), for 40g seed.

Get fertiliser into the seedbed at planting. Combine-drill where possible, especially in low-fertility sites. Balanced fertilisation rates depend on soil test results and historic crop yields. All fertiliser should be incorporated into the seedbed. The basic fertiliser rate for an Index 3 soil is 25kg P/ha and up to 110kg K/ha at around 7t/ha yield where straw is removed.

Crop protection

The main jobs will be weed control and growth regulation and possibly disease control. The mix of warm days and frosty nights makes Medax Max or the K2 or Ceraide types a safer bet in these conditions.

Fungicide will be needed now or shortly on winter barley – watch for the presence of mildew and net blotch, as well as rhyncho. First fungicides will tend to be a triazole plus a strobilurin or SDHI mix. If you don’t have active rhyncho, consider giving prothioconazole a rest in favour of some of the other triazoles.

Forward oats are mainly past GS31, so PGR is essential. This might be Ceraide, Medax Max or a Moddus/CCC mix. Winter wheat is also pushing into stem extension so it is time for a CCC or Moddus/CCC treatment between GS30 and GS31.