Up to date: While May was on the cold side for the past week, the weather window helped get a lot of outstanding work done and things should again be largely up to date. Planting of cereals is virtually compete and maize and potatoes are not far behind. There was some loss of plastic on maize following recent high winds.

Winter crops: Winter wheat spraying is largely up to date with T1 sprays completed. However, more advanced crops are now pushing towards flag leaf emerging with heads appearing on some very advanced crops. So it could be fungicide time again on some crops.

Apply the T2 fungicide on wheat once the flag leaf is fully emerged, preferably unfolded if the spray interval is not excessive. Fungicides for this timing should involve a change of triazole so where prothioconazole was used at T1 switch to metconazole for T2. All treatments need an SDHI and a contact. Options include Adexar, Ascra, Elatus or Velogy Era, Librax or mixes of a triazole plus an SDHI, with a contact.

Many barley crops are now at awns-emerging stage so time for the final spray. In general crops are quite clean but there is some mildew, net blotch and rhyncho about. Ramularia was said to be present and visible early in the season but it will be a real risk from here on, depending on general growing conditions and crop stress.

Final sprays must include a contact active like chlorothalonil or folpet for ramularia control. These should also include a triazole plus either an SDHI or a strobilurin active. Try to alternate the triazole in the last versus earlier sprays. Product options include Siltra, Bontima, Ceriax, Elatus Era, Fandango, Mandarin, Variano, Zephyr etc.

Aphid numbers are high in some barley crops but there is little that can be done about them at reasonable cost. Previous experience suggests that the crop can cope with big numbers.

Oat crops are likely to be between fungicide sprays at the moment. Flag leaves are emerging and so any remaining growth regulator needs to be applied.

Spring crops: Crops vary in growth stage based on sowing date with a spread from January to late April. More advanced crops are pushing towards stem extension with others now at GS14/15. This is the optimum timing for aphid control but the risk may be lower in these early sown crops. While slow growth may be helping to minimise trace element deficiency, the risk is still there on susceptible ground.

Final nitrogen top dressing should be applied to all spring crops before stem extension – don’t forget sulphur where it is needed.

Early crops will now need herbicide for broad-leaved weeds plus wild oats and maybe some problems grasses like canary grass.

Given the risk and prominence of SU resistance all herbicides need to use different families of actives. This can be done with mixtures containing SUs or products like Galaxy, Pixxaro or Zypar depending on the weeds present.