Crop Updates (18 July 2024): Yellow rust has infected wheat crops where spray timing were challenged by a lack of weather windows
Crop Updates
Our regular round up of the issues affecting crops around Scotland, summarises how crops are developing and what weather and other issues are affecting them. The update provides information on the progress with key field work activities as well as news on the pest, weed and disease problems being noted in crops. The health issues being seen in crops are a key part of the topical update and lets growers and agronomists adjust management practices appropriately.
18 July 2024
General Comments
Persistent rain has driven up disease levels. Yellow rust is now common across wheat crops where there were gaps in sprays. It has been hard to time sprays precisely in the face of windy and wet conditions. Septoria levels are also high, but the variety trials show the benefit of slightly higher variety scores in mitigating disease. Winter barleys are now well in to ripening. We have seen more net blotch in spring barley this year arising from seed borne infection in the main. Ramularia is also starting to appear in spring barley crops.
Regional Comments
ORKNEY
Where is our summer weather? So far, the sun has made very few appearances and the air temperatures have been cool. Growth of all crops has been slow however most Spring barley has completed ear emergence and is now at various stages of flowering. Few good opportunities have arisen for making silage, with the expectation that ME’s will be low. However, conditions have been ideal for slurry spreading with the moisture rapidly washing residues into the soil rather than a hot, dry sun baking it onto the leaf.
CAITHNESS
Yet another period of low temperatures and general un-summer like weather. That said spring and winter crops continue to look very good. Potatoes in the area have come away well whilst turnips are very mixed. The local Caithness County Show have created a standing crop competition which has attracted 24 farms to enter with 45 fields entered in total.
MORAY
June’s cold and wet weather blanket has yet to shift leading to mounting frustration as farmers try to get spraying and silage making operations complete. Some crops of spring barley, especially late sown crops are looking quite sparse and short whilst others look good. Rhynchosporium is quite easily found everywhere, and most crops have headed and started to flower. The first few fields of winter barley have been sprayed off with uneven ripening across most fields. Winter oilseed rape crops are just about ready to be sprayed off, although seeds are still green in some crops. Heads on winter wheat are starting to fill up quite nicely with flag leaves still fairly green and crops at early dough stage.
INVERNESS
After one of the wettest summers in memory the past week has seen the weather take a more positive turn with temperatures in the high teens and low twenties and consistent dry weather. Winter barley is ripening fast now and at mid dough, the warmer weather means harvest is not far away. Wheat is now moving into the watery ripe or early milk stage. Spring barley crops are more varied, with the earliest crops now at GS77 and the latest still flowering. Despite the late sowing and challenging summer weather, on the whole crops are looking good and a positive change in the weather in time for grain fill may make all the difference to yield. OSR crops are now at GS 9.5. The past week of good weather has allowed hay making and silaging to continue in earnest.
BANFF & BUCHAN
Summer continues to be a non-event in the north-east corner with rain seemingly never far away and rainfall levels for the month so far already surpassing the monthly average. Last week in particular saw some very heavy showers and there is a sense of relief that crops remain standing as they reach their heaviest. Nevertheless, it is concerning to see water lying in tramlines and potato drills with little sign of respite. The lack of sunshine is also giving concern regarding grain fill and while a month ago there was cautious optimism about the upcoming harvest, this has been tempered in recent weeks. Unlike recent years there won’t be many growers able to say their winter barleys are done and dusted by Turriff Show with even pre-harvest glyphosates some way off. Septoria is now climbing up winter wheats, just as it reaches its grain filling period and although oilseed rapes are now starting to ripen off, some Light Leaf Spot is present. Spring barleys are mostly flowering and are much lusher than normal with many crops having received some late growth regulator to mitigate any fears of lodging. Potato crops are at various stages of growth with some crops starting to meet in the drills whereas others have a lot of catching up to do having barely been planted a month ago which is sure to have implications for rogueing and inspecting crops. Cattle are now starting to receive supplementary feeding in their fields and grass growth seems to be steadying up. Hopefully the jet stream reverts to its normal summer position, and we finally get some welcome sunshine and heat in time for harvest.
KINCARDINESHIRE
Weather has been poor in the area and like many others we need some heat and sun. Winter barley is at the soft dough stage and looking like some crops will be sprayed off, if needed, in the next week or two. Winter oilseed rape ripening well with some crops now being sprayed off. Winter wheat diseases are now starting to come in on most varieties, some physiological spotting seen due to stress, but this has been very variety dependent. Spring barley is looking pretty good; however, disease is now creeping in on lower leaves and spring oats are looking well. There has been aphid activity in the last couple of weeks which is unusual for our area. Crops are all now just needing the sun!
PERTHSHIRE
Crops are looking well in general even though spraying was often delayed due to the weather. The earliest winter barley and winter oil seed rape have been sprayed off but there are still many crops which are much further behind. Combines are getting looked out and farmers are hoping for drier weather to aid for an easy harvest. Winter wheat and spring barleys have had their final fungicides and gates are now closed on these crops for now.
FIFE
Crops are generally looking well; spring barleys are now past their T2 fungicide and are mostly very clean. Winter barleys are now golden and doughy ripe, some warm sunny days would help fully ripen these crops without the need for Glyphosate. Winter wheats are flowering or just finished flowering, varieties with lower disease resistance to septoria or rust are rapidly losing their leaves but those stronger varieties, supported by a good fungicide program are looking quite green still. WOSR crops are ripening, though seeds are still green within the pods. A good spell of dry sunny weather would be beneficial for grain-fill and ripening of all crops.
STIRLINGSHIRE
Timothy hay production in full swing now with a number making hay last weekend with the forecast rain staying away. We are still waiting to hear about yield and quality from these baled crops. However, the rains have returned and the last few weeks waiting for conditions to be right was difficult as there were hardly a few days dry together. There appears, from first bale samples made here, that there might be a lot of warm hay bales given the current harvesting conditions. Winter barley crops all look yellow and ripe ready for harvest but on further inspection the odd plant has a slight green tinge remaining in the mid-stem and many heads are not parallel to the stem yet indicting there is still a higher inherent grain moisture than we would ideally like for harvest <18%. It is likely next 10 days we will see the start of harvested for WB across Stirlingshire. Falkirk WB likely to be the first crops to be cut in the region. Winter oil seed rape crops are all in plant senescence phase and will soon be getting swathed as seeds are black and hard and few pods are green. Some crops have very thick grass & broadleaved weeds coming above canopy and will cause harvesting issues. WOSR out of grass has larger pods but fewer seeds. WOSR out of a cereal rotation has smaller pods and subsequently seeds but there are more of them. We look forward to seeing the yields. Winter wheat has been the dirtiest crop that we have walked this season.
Posted by SAC Consulting on 18/07/2024
