Development continues: Most winter barley crops now have awns out (some have heads) and wheat crops are pushing out flag leaves. Most oat crops have flag leaves out for some time now. But the broken weather in most areas has made it very difficult to get any work done and some management is again behind schedule. Hopefully the promised improvement in the weather will come and we can get fungicides applied to winter crops and herbicides and aphicides to spring crops.

May is a big spraying month and the weather has turned awkward once again. Have a stock of adjuvants on hand in case you have to take a half chance with a tank of spray. Don’t forget trace elements where needed.

Planting: The bulk of planting is now complete, but there are still some ploughed or cultivated fields awaiting some crop or other. There is probably still a bit of spring rape and maize to go in and some grass seed. Keep a close eye on emerging crops as leather-jackets are a very common problem and they can hammer plant population in patches very quickly.

Spring crops: The more advanced barley crops are now well tillered and awaiting herbicide and aphicide. Many will need a wild oats spray and some will also need trace elements. Fungicide might also be included as some crops are already showing symptoms of rhyncho. Net blotch and rust could also occur. The most advanced crops will now be moving into stem extension so you need to apply CCC or another growth regulator to spring wheat.

Add a second herbicide active when using any of the SUs as resistance is now present in an increasing number of weeds.

Wild oats should be targeted early before the canopy gets too dense to get good spray penetration. Products like Axial, Croplink Avena, FarmCo Axis, FarmCo Wild Oats or Foxtrot can be used on wheat and barley, while Cheetah Extra and FarmCo Aphrodite can only be used on wheat.

Final nitrogen top dressing should be applied as quickly as possible to all malting barley and also to feed barley, wheat and oats. This needs to be available to feed crops by the start of stem extension.

Winter crops: It is now time for final sprays on most winter barley crops (if not already applied). On wheat it’s time for the T2 treatment. Rain in recent weeks will make septoria a serious threat once again. Sprays should include an SDHI, lots of triazole, Caramba and chlorothalonil. Watch for yellow rust which is still spreading and active.

Advanced winter barley crops are at the final spray stage with emerged ears. Providing only one SDHI was applied already, the final spray should include an SDHI, a rust-active triazole, chlorothalonil for ramularia and possibly a strobilurin. Products options include Siltra, Adexar, Bontima, Ceriax or a Treoris plus triazole mix, or Fandango. Add chlorothalonil or Phoenix to all sprays.

Check wheat for wild oats and spray with either Axial, Cheetah Extra, Croplink Avena, FarmCo Aphrodite, FarmCo Axis, FarmCo Wild Oats, Foxtrot, Rogue or Traxos.