Rain was welcome for some

Some of the recent heavy rain was welcome, especially in the south east. In other areas it just filled up the tramlines with water once again.

Some areas really did need rain as crops struggled to emerge from dry cloddy seedbeds and some emerged crops were turning the proverbial 40 shades of green. Where showers have been more regular since planting, establishment and growth have been good and such crops show good potential.

Winter cereals

Most crops have remained relatively clean but the usual array of diseases isevident. Septoria is common in wheat down in the crop, and some have mildew. A few crops show take-all and there is also some rust.

Rhyncho levels are generally low in barley, with little or no net blotch. Some crops have mildew and there is some brown rust. Oats have held quite clean except for the significant spotting or blotching on lower leaves. But one can never disregard the risk of rust or mildew in oats.

Most or all winter barley fungicide is now completed, with flowering and grain fill under way. Wheat crops have flag leaves emerged and are therefore at or past the ideal T2 fungicide timing. Earlier crops are on the point of heading, with ears appearing.

At the current pace of growth it is possible that the T3 timing will come around very quickly. Watch wheat and oat crops for mildew at or before the final spray.

Spring crops

Good seedbeds and/or frequent showers have been a big advantage this spring. Crops that established well continue to grow well. This time last year early barley had flag leaf emerging but this could again happen within a week or so in earlier crops. Rapid growth with very rapid stem extension adds to lodging concerns. But if growth remains steady we could still get strong stems naturally.

Most crops have tillered well. Earlier crops have already received a first fungicide but crops seem to be clean, possibly helped by the low level of diseases in winter crops. However, the late ploughing of stubbles with a lot of diseased volunteers could still result in significant infection.

Later crops need to be sprayed for weeds, BYDV protection, possibly wild oats or canary grass and disease control. There is a lot of pressure to get work done but be careful with tank mixes and sequences of hormones, wild oat sprays etc.

If crops stay clean you may get away with a cheaper mix of a triazole +/- a strobilurin, but don’t be tempted to leave crops unprotected. Watch out for mildew and rust also.

The big concern is growth regulation. Using CCC to help even up crops can give denser crops that are more prone to lodging. So if you are doing something to increase tiller capacity you probably add to the need for a PGR.

If you have high nitrogen availability in your soil, high seed rate, high establishment, high tillering, or if your crop suffers a setback and goes into very rapid growth, you should consider the use of a PGR early in stem extension.

Options include Moddus plus CCC, depending on timing, or Medax Max (+/- CCC).

Read more

Farm Survey 2017: increased incomes on tillage farms, but less area planted

Spring planting close to its conclusion