CROP MONITOR

Regional Crop Report Eastern Counties, 02 March 2007
Winter Wheat
Comment on current growth stages	Field conditions
September drilled Alchemy, Solstice and Robigus are approaching GS30.	Fields very wet. Little or no field work possible even on light land.

Main diseases Present	Level and comment
Brown Rust	Present at low levels on all varieties where early drilled.
Mildew	New leaves of all varieties remaining clean. Some death of lower leaves of early Solstice from mildew. Consider including mildewicide in T0.
Septoria tritici	No increase - lower leaves on most varieties have the disease - so what's new! Alchemy cleanest followed by Robigus. Clear pattern in disease levels with drilling dates - late October drilled crops almost completely clean.
Yellow Rust	None seen.
Eyespot	Clear eyespot lesions on early drilled Robigus and Solstice.
Other	None seen.
Main Pest problems	Level and comment
Aphids	No fresh sightings reported.
Frit fly	None seen.
Leatherjacket	None seen.
Opomyza	None seen.
Slugs	None seen.
Wheat bulb fly	None seen.
Wireworm	None seen.
Other
Main weed problems	Level and comment
Blackgrass	A few fields unsprayed require treatment as soon as posible.
Meadow grasses	Treatments working.
Rye grass	Tillering in untreated crops.
Bromes	No fresh sightings reported.
Cleavers	Now endemic.
Others	Wide range of broad leaf weeds emerging now in untreated crops.

Regional Crop Report Eastern Counties, 02 March 2007
Winter Barley
Comment on current growth stages	Field conditions
GS 30 and well tillered - crops getting worryingly forward like wheat.	As wheat

Main diseases Present	Level and comment
Brown Rust	None seen.
Mildew	On older leaves but none on new growth.
Net-blotch	Levels vary from trace to significant levels on some crops.
Yellow Rust	None seen.
Eyespot	None seen.
Rhynchosporium	None seen.
Other	None seen.
Main Pest problems	Level and comment
Aphids	High risk in untreated crops.
Leatherjacket	None seen.
Slugs	Most crops beyond stage where damage is of importance.
Wireworm	None seen.
Other	None seen.
Main weed problems	Level and comment
Blackgrass	Few fields still need follow-up. Wet conditions has prevented spraying.
Meadow grasses	Low levels so far.
Rye grass	High level in a few fields.
Bromes	High level in a few fields.
Cleavers
Others

Regional Crop Report Eastern Counties, 02 March 2007
Winter Oilseed Rape
Comment on current growth stages	Field conditions
Crops have lost leaves in cold weather and have become more open. In waterlogged or compacted areas and where the plants are short of N the foliage is very purple. Some crops are now beginning to grow again with new green leaves appearing in the centres. Flower buds appearing (i.e. not enclosed by leaves) in just one or two very forward crops. Few plants first flowers. Planning nitrogen by assessing GAI and predicting expected seed yield performance. GAI differs greatly from crop to crop. Beginning to get an idea which crops may definitely require a PGR.	As wheat.

Main diseases Present	Level and comment
Club root	None seen.
Downy Mildew	Crops now beyond stage where this disease is a problem.
Light Leaf Spot	None seen.
Phoma	No new infection.
Powdery Mildew	None seen.
White Leaf Spot	None seen.
Other	None seen.
Main Pest problems	Level and comment
Aphids	None seen.
Flea beetle	Larvae in leaf stems is more obvious than in previous years.
Leatherjacket	None seen.
Slugs	A lot of slug grazing on lower leaves.
Other	None seen.
Main weed problems	Level and comment
Blackgrass	Tepraloxydim results have been disappointing in many fields.
Meadow grasses	Limited problem as most fields received pre-em herbicide.
Rye grass	Rapid growth in untreated fields.
Bromes	Rapid growth in untreated fields.
Cleavers
Others

Crop Report compiled by Farming Online from reports received by members from the Association of Independent Crop Consultants

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