Crop Watch East: oilseed rape desiccation by end of the week

Tag : used butyl

Timing of glyphosate treatment has never been harder with such variable crops. As ageneral guide if two-thirds of the seeds are brown in 75% of themiddle pods across most of the field, the crop is fit to go.
Where you are using glyphosate and home-saving seed remember toleave an untreated area to go off naturally or for pre-harvest diquat .
The decision to treat for sclerotinia looks to have been justifiedwith low levels now showing even in treated crops.
The recent weather means it is now very easy to tell a first wheatfrom a second -even where take-all seed treatments were used insome cases. Hopefully some decent rain soon may do something tosave the day.
Summer aphid levels in wheat have been very low and most crops arenow past the time when any treatment is justified. Pulses, however,are a different kettle of fish with large numbers of black flyre-invading bean crops and monster-size pea aphids coming back too.
If second fungicides are still outstanding check the requirementfor an additional aphicide.
Some sugar beet crops are still being ravaged by pigeons so controlmeasures should not be relaxed. Take time to plan beet fungicidesand treat according to planned lifting date and varietalsusceptibility.
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24 June 2008
Brian Ross - Frontier, Suffolk
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It's worth checking cereal crops for grassweeds and mapping anyareas where control has not been satisfactory.
Blackgrass, brome and ryegrass may not be showing above the cropwhere herbicide applications merely stunted them. If viable seedheads have been produced, take the chance to collect the seed andget it tested for resistance.
This forms the start of any grassweed control strategy - know yourenemy.
Fields that will have high levels of grassweed seed return shouldbe ploughed to bury seed. If you are restricted to non-inversiontillage, then create a stale seed-bed and burn off the initialflush of grassweeds before drilling the following crop.
Better conditions during seed maturation this year should lead tolower dormancy in blackgrass and, therefore, higher levels ofgermination early in the season.
As milling wheats reach milky ripe stage they will receive a top-upof foliar urea or a stabilised nitrogen product to boost proteinlevels.
Oilseed rape has been showing some sclerotinia infection in thepast couple of weeks, but seemingly not at the same levels as lastyear. This is despite predictions of very high risk of infectionthis season.
Heavy rainfall during flowering may have washed petals out of thecanopy rather than letting them stick to leaves and stems.
Rape crops are comparatively short again this year making directcombining easier. They will start to receive glyphosate desiccantsprays as they mature to even them and make harvesting moremanageable.
Seed crops will receive either diquat or glufosinate-ammoniuminstead because glyphosate can be translocated into seed and affectsubsequent germination.
Peas are receiving pea moth insecticide sprays and fungicideprogrammes should be completed in the next couple of weeks.
Pigeons have been targeting peas with devastating results, butwhere they have left crops alone yield potential looks good on wellstructured soils. Heavier and poorly structured land coupled withheavy rainfall has resulted in some crops suffering with wet feet.
Spring beans are also reaching the end of their fungicideprogrammes.
Most bruchid beetle treatments are now complete. Having followedthe latest advice and used angled nozzles and timings based ondaytime temperatures, we are hoping for good levels of control thisyear.
Don't forget cross-compliance and agri-environment schemerestrictions on managing hedges and grass strips.
Although the temptation is to have a pre-harvest or earlypost-harvest tidy-up, remember that hedge-trimming should not takeplace until after 31 July under cross-compliance (a few exceptionsapply).
Cutting restrictions also apply to Entry Level Scheme grass marginsand other habitats. Checking the rule book may save on potentiallycostly mistakes. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 June 2008
Brian Ross - Frontier, Suffolk
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It's back to frustration mode with the weather again and sugar beetsprays not going on when they should. Some weeds, particularlyknotgrass, are reaching frightening sizes. Some hefty mixes havebeen and continue to be applied to these with reasonable success.
The good news is that nearly all the beet I have look very wellwith some just about meeting in the rows. Do keep a watchful eye onmanganese deficiency symptoms as they are showing up on rapidlygrowing crops on susceptible soils.
Wheats still look very good with plenty of yield potential.Although there have been some delays in T2 spraying the gaps sinceT1s are not excessive and disease has been controlled well so far.Clearly the weather has meant that septoria could be a problem ondelayed or unsprayed crops.
Reports of more yellow rust showing in Robigus have come in thesouth of the region, but these are from not well timed treatments.
I know I shouldn't say this, but in spite of the heavy storms andrain growth regulators are holding with some barleys leaning onoverlaps only. It is unfortunate that a lot of planned late PGRsdid not get applied because of the conditions and speed of cropgrowth. It remains to be seen how some of the heavier crops fairlater on.
I have seen a crop which appears to have some stem based blackeningnot due to eyespot and which probably has a fusarium connection.This has caused some plant leaf death and will need furtherinvestigation.
Rape is interesting with flowering finished and starting in thesame field! It will make desiccation and harvesting decisionsproblematical. Anything that will keep the earlier ripened podintegrity intact should be investigated when choosing products.
Spring barley in this area has certainly benefited from the rain,shooting forward after looking a little ragged. It now looks asthough it could be the crop of the year here.
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2 June 2008
Andrew Blazey - Prime Agriculture, Essex/ Suffolk/ Cambs
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The end of May has brought welcome rain to many over the last 10days with most areas locally having between 60 and 70mm. GenerallyT2 sprays in wheat were finished prior to the rain and at the timeof writing most wheats are in the mid to late stages of booting andT3 is imminent. The rain was very welcome for the second wheats inparticular which are suffering take all quite badly in places andwill need a kind end to the season. The rain has brought some woesthough. Where flag leaf sprays are still outstanding make surerobust rates of triazoles are used when you can get back intocrops.
The wet weather combined with the growth stage of the wheat crophas bumped up the risk of Orange Wheat Blossom Midge attack. Sightings and trappings have been sporadic to date withhistorically bad sites already finding large numbers and lowcaptures in other areas. The first few days of June will becritical and vigilance will be required especially if we have mildstill evenings. Decisions whether to treat or not will have to bemade soon as T3 approaches and we try to avoid extra passes throughthe crop.
Wet soils have also shown up areas of foot rot in pulse crops. Like take all in the wheat these can often be associated with soilstructure issues. Thinking back 9 or 10 months it is easy toforget how wet soils were during harvest and autumn cultivations,and the possible damage that could have been done. Take time overthe next few weeks to assess soil structure when conditions dry up. With ever escalating diesel prices plan where and what cultivationstrategies are required.

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20 May 2008
Ruth East - Association of Independent Crop Consultants,Lincolnshire
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There seems to be something in the old saying