Crop Watch – Farmers Weekly
Crop Watch – Farmers Weekly ...
Conor Campbell, North (Northumberland)
One month on and conditions continue to be a challenge for all. It’s how I imagine a budget Rocky sequel would look – scrappy.
It really has been a case of seizing any opportunity to keep the jobs moving. Cold, wet soils and a big move to urea has caused some challenges with maintaining tillers and getting crops away throughout April.
I fear that inhibited products will cause even more headaches in seasons to come, as these are even slower to become available. Bear this in mind when the new-season prices come out in a couple of months’ time.
Wheat crops around the county look well and full of potential. T1 applications are on in most cases, except for later-sown wheats which haven’t raced through the growth stages – definitely a saving grace.
Septoria threat
Disease pressure remains high with more than20 rainfall events in April. Septoria is prevalent in the base of the crop and needs a robust T1 fungicide to keep it there.
Yellow rust is also kicking around, even in some resistant varieties, so some coverage at T1 was a prudent approach.
Winter barleys have motored on with awns soon to be making an appearance. These have perhaps suffered a little with the weather and delayed nitrogen applications, resulting in a large amount of smaller secondary tillers.
T1s were applied at a variety of growth stages due to the weather, but have done a good job of keeping disease down in the base of the canopy.
Oilseed rapes are well into flower and mid-flower sprays will be imminent as the odd petal begins to fall. Checking the sclerotinia forecast, we have had a handful of near-misses, but with more favourable temperatures on the forecast, it is time to cover these.
This is also a good time to top up nutrition, as the crop demands increase greatly with pod formation and fill. The addition of a strobilurin at this time can help with green leaf retention.
Drills have been busy the past fortnight and spring crops are beginning to emerge. Spring barleys will need particular encouragement to tiller in order to maximise yield potential and suppress the apical dominance.
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