Crops thriving: Crops seem to be thriving in the warmer sunshine since the weekend. Growth stages are moving on and it would seem like the residual fertility from last year is adding something to crop appearance. We need good yields to help offset current price pressure.

Winter crops: Winter barley crops have quickly moved to show awns across full fields and many have moved to ear emergence. It is important to have final fungicides applied as the awns are actively emerging for good timing of the contact component to help prevent ramularia.

Flag leaves are now emerging in many winter wheat crops but some very early crops/varieties are earing out. The majority of crops may have flag leaves emerged this week and so at the T2 timing. Good weather plus a spread of varieties is making sharp timing easier.

Disease pressure is variable with septoria bad in places while yellow rust and mildew have been additional problems. The T2 on winter wheat needs to contain SDHI, triazole and chlorothalonil. If you used prothioconazole or epoxiconazole at T1, try and use metconazole or tebuconazole this time, or vice versa. T2 treatments could be either Adexar, Ascra, Aviator, Librax, Treoris or other combinations with these same actives. Include a contact with every combination.

Consider any final N on winter wheat (40-60kg N/ha) in the coming week or so.

Winter oat crops have evened up considerably and many have flag leaves fully emerged and booting. The main spray is when ears are out and some crops may need a triazole as a spot-gap for either crown rust or mildew or both.

Where possible, hold final sprays on oats until the ears are out. If you need a stop-gap, consider a straight triazole like Riza or Opus. Final spray options (a while away in most crops) include products like Elatus Era, Lumen, Fandango or Opera. Watch for mildew.

Spring crops: Recent rain and then heat has made a big difference to crops. Early planted barley crops are now at the end of tillering so weed, disease control and insecticide should be applied – some of this is done. Insecticide may not be needed on early sown crops but there is already some evidence of BYDV. First fungicides should go on at late tillering using options like Bontima, Siltra, Elatus Era, Zephyr, Ceriax etc.

Herbicide could include a mix of SUs, plus an active from another herbicide family. You may also need to treat wild oats or canary grass. Take care with mixes and sequences when using Axial – do not mix with straight hormones but Pixxaro seems okay. Also, be conscious of possible resistance issues.

Apply growth regulator to spring wheat at the start of stem extension. This can be as simple as CCC, 0.8-1.0 l/ha of a 75% product, or a Moddus plus CCC mix (0.1+1.0 l/ha). With spring oats apply first PGR between GS30/31 and GS32, using either CCC or Ceraide or Medax Max. The latter can be used as a split dose for higher risk crops up to GS39.