Growth

Recent rain was very welcome in tillage fields but amounts were highly variable, both for the past week and the past month. Air temperature remains low and this has slowed growth and flowering. Crops have still jumped through growth stages in recent weeks. What looked like an early harvest a few weeks ago has been slowed again.

Flowering: The weather would appear to have been reasonably good for flowering so far, with good drying most of the time. However, ear blight infection risk remains real. Infection may not be solely related to weather and stress may also be an aggravating factor, as with ramularia.

There are some unfertilised grains in winter barley, which could be a result of frost during flowering. But the incidence seems to be low and perhaps of no consequence to yield.

Spring crops

Barley crops range from flag leaf emerged to flowering, depending on location and sowing date. Final fungicides should be applied when the awns are actively emerging but before the ears are visible. Most crops are now sprayed. It is also important to have the fungicide applied ahead of disease development, especially with ramularia.

Final fungicide options include Bontima, Ceriax, Elatus Era, Fandango, Revystar and Siltra. Alternatively, mixtures of a triazole plus a straight SDHI or a strobilurin can be used. All T2 treatments should include a contact fungicide (folpet) for ramularia control.

Wheat and oat crops are also quite variable in growth stage, with crops now between flag leaf emerging and booting. Both should receive a fungicide once the flag leaves have emerged. Treatment cost should be tailored to risk, with mildew, yellow rust, or crown rust evident in some varieties.

Winter crops

While rain might be welcome in many fields, heavy rain might not as it could be inclined to run off rather than penetrate and it could also cause lodging in winter barley, and some spring crops towards the south.

Hungry crows remain a risk to winter barley as crops move to watery ripe and they have begun to turn very quickly. It is important to keep crows out as once in it is very difficult to get them out. Light rain would improve their pickings on grassland, and this might help to reduce the feeding pressure. But it is sensible to put in a pre-emptive strike in all high-risk locations like edges, lodged patches, beside wire fences, under electric cables etc.

Most winter wheat crops are now heading or into grain fill. Many T3 fungicides have been applied. Low temperatures are slowing flowering, making it difficult to know where the early- to mid-flowering point is for application.

Final sprays will be triazole mixtures like Prosaro, Gleam or Magnello. It is unlikely that folpet will be of benefit in this timing because septoria levels are so low. Watch for yellow rust and mildew and make sure you are covered against a late outbreak of brown rust. A strobilurin might also be considered in the final spray as an insurance against high stress levels.