Crop Updates (20 June 2024): Ear disease is likely to be more prevalent in wet conditions
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.
06 June 2024
General Comments
Cold weather has helped a bit in reducing disease risk, but the wet conditions have generally increased the risk. We have reports of ramularia in winter barley and the first report in the south west of potato blight. There are a few cases of rhynchosporium in spring barley that will need to be dealt with at T2. We have also seen a few cases of Cephalosporium leaf stripe in winter wheat. This disease is common in tight white crop rotations and will affect other cereals although wheat is the most affected. It is often worse where roots are damaged so the challenging start for winter wheats could be making it more apparent this year.
Regional Comments
ORKNEY
The weather since the last report has almost been as bad as Scotland’s performance against Germany. Prolonged strong wind from the west bringing chilling temperatures which has turned the tips of the barley yellow. Following that, it has rained most days, making the ground soft. Many crops have still not seen a sprayer and are now beyond the ideal stage for herbicides. Growth has slowed significantly; however awns are visible on the few April sown crops. Finding a weather window for silage making has also been near impossible. Things need to improve on all fronts soon or it will be a month to remember for all the wrong reasons.
MORAY
The rain gage total for June is currently sitting at 81mm. 44mm of that was delivered at the weekend leading to some flooded and water tracked fields. Whilst spring sown crops are generally looking good, there are a lot of yellow patches on end-riggs and the like where the crop has been washed out. Spring barley crops fall between stem extension and booting stages with a fair bit of rhynchosporium around.
The heads on winter barley crops are starting to fill out with most crops at watery ripe stage to early milk stage. Winter wheat crops are starting to flower with head sprays being applied. Winter oilseed rape is progressing through seed development with most crops having full size seeds. Farmers are looking for that gap in the weather to get some silage cut and secured.
ABERDEENSHIRE
The last couple of weeks seem to have been fraught with difficulty trying to dodge rain showers and get a window of opportunity to spray crops when it’s not too windy. This has also made it difficult for livestock guys too trying to make silage. Winter wheats are now getting T3 sprays as heads emerge and early spring barleys are getting their flag leaf sprays. There is quite a range of growth stages it would appear in spring barleys however as some crops are still just getting weed & T1 sprays, as they are still at growth stage 31. Despite the cold showery week last week spring barleys still appear quite clean of disease.
BANFF & BUCHAN
The colder, wetter, windier, weather has slowed up crop growth and this has also impacted on workloads, with spraying windows also having been at a premium over the past few weeks. Winter oilseed rapes look well although Light Leaf Spot is present, winter barleys are now past flowering and are desperately looking for sunshine to help with grain fill. Winter wheats are having their T3s with septoria present and creeping up the plants. Spring barleys are a mixed bag- almost all are shorter than normal, earlier sown fields are thick and lush and between flag leaf and awns peeping although some of the later sown crops still have a lot to do. Around the area there are still some potatoes being planted and even the earlier planted crops are barely through the ground – another crop really in need of sunshine. The weather is also making silage making a stop-start affair, although yields have been surprisingly good despite the slow start. All things considered, the potential is there although heat and sunshine is very much in demand.
ANGUS
Spring barley crops have grown very rapidly since they went in the ground but have slowed during the cooler weather over the last few weeks, but these crops are thicker than usual and have needed some management with growth regulator. Winter wheat is now flowering and the final T3 fungicides are being applied, winter barley is beginning to change colour and winter oilseed rape has now mostly completed pod filling. Spring peas are also growing quickly with the first flowers offering to come out and winter beans are now towards the end of flowering.
PERTHSHIRE
Crop growth slowed down over the last couple of weeks after a period of rapid growth. Winter oilseed rape is now mostly at seeds expanding, winter barley is grain filling and winter wheat is mostly flowering. Septoria levels in wheat are increasing but have mostly been contained to lower leaves and mildew has been seen also.
Spring barley is mostly at awn tip with some of the later sown crops just beginning stem extension. These crops are lusher than usual, and some have been receiving growth regulator as a bit of an insurance.
FIFE
WOSR fields are changing colour now that flowers are all off and pods are filling. Winter barley fields have stood up to the recent rains well and the furthest on have started to lose their greenness, disease levels are very low. Winter wheats on the other hand, where T2 fungicides have been applied slightly late, varieties that are weaker on rust resistance can be seen to have had the disease. Robust T3 head sprays on these varieties are being recommended. Spring barley crops, having motored through the early growth stages have slowed up somewhat in the lower temperatures experienced over the last couple of weeks. T1 sprays have been applied and weed and disease control looks good. The furthest on SB crops are due the T2 fungicide this week.
STIRLINGSHIRE
A mix of crop conditions across Stirlingshire in this update, tramlines still not dried up on the heavier soils begging the question if this will happen this year! Winter barley crops are at a growth stage of early/medium dough and are looking yellow in many places still. Some crops have high ramularia presence. Common spring wild oats causing issues in some fields with heavy populations, this combined with an explosion of grass weeds particularly AMG will cause issues at harvest. On the other hand, winter wheat crops are looking much greener and at the finishing flowering growth stage, although some have moderate amounts of with septoria in the flag leaf. All winter OSR crops are coming on now, crops of OSR which came from a previous cereal in the rotation have caught up with the crops out of grass and both have good pod fill now. Seeds are green at GS 6,3. Spring barley crops are looking very lush with thick canopies and little disease at present with the growth stage at awns peeping. Some damage from cereal leaf beetle in some spring barley crops to the west of Stirling in the lower leaves and there is also very little weed burden affecting these crops due to excellent establishment. Timothy crops are looking bulky with grass gone to seed now it will be interesting to see the yields from these crops this year.
LOTHIANS
June so far has given little respite from the cool and wet conditions experienced through May with temperatures continuing below seasonal norms and frequent and heavy intermittent showers. Wheats are now flowering and septoria infection is expressing itself commonly on flag leaves due to the high number of rain events spreading inoculum higher up the plant.Yellow rust has been a persistent feature in wheats this season often returning having been treated previously. Leaf stripe (cephalosporium) has been seen in wheat too, the pathogen enters through damaged roots and blocks the transport vessels at the base of the leaf giving rise to the striped leaf effect; more commonly seen in continuous cereals or where white strawed crops dominate the rotation.
Spring barley crops appear not to be growing away from the effects of waterlogged soils and across many field areas remain yellow and lacking vigour. The lack of oxygen (hypoxia) in the soil because of the excessively wet conditions may well be part of the cause. Crops in general are short and straw yields will inevitably be reduced this year.
BORDERS
Rain continues to cause huge disruption to timely crop spraying and last week there were still spring crops at awns peeping without any weed control or disease protection and more worryingly spring oats at flag leaf emerging with no growth regulator. Hopefully more weather windows appear this week and allow catch up on cereals and first blight protection on potato crops. Winter barley is at early dough, flowering has started in winter wheat, heads are out in winter oats, awns peeping in spring barley and flag leaf extending in spring oats, oilseed rape seeds are green full size. Septoria is creeping up wheat plants and whilst the top two leaves generally remain free from disease, weaker varieties top leaves have disease. It will be interesting to see how Septoria resistance rating change after this season. Ramularia is developing in some winter barley crops and rynchosporium is appearing in untreated spring barley. Despite the wet conditions mildew is absent from all crops with the exception of oats where levels are low. Light leaf spot is still active in oilseed rape on leaf and stems.
LANARKSHIRE
The change in weather across the district with a lingering cold, wet snap is taking its toll on arable crops, with a number of spring barley fields looking quite yellow. The spring barley crops across the district are at widely varying growth stages due to the delayed sowing for many. With the strong wind and heavy downpours there is a mild concern that we will see some of the winter crops begin to go flat. Due to the unpredictable weather, many have found it challenging to get their T1 sprays applied, but sprayers can be seen in the fields when there is a dry spell. Grass growth is the biggest concern in the area at the moment as the majority have noted they are short on grazing due to cold, wet weather with morning temperatures as low as 4c in June. There have been a number of farmers that have had to lift their silage in unfavourable conditions in the past month, fields that have been cut for silage a fortnight ago are still struggling to green back up. There is hope that the next week is to be dry and warm which should bring a well needed boost for both cropping and grass growth!
AYR
Like the rest of the country Ayrshire crops are struggling with cool temperatures and wet weather. Spring barley crops are suffering with low manganese with the low temperatures, and crops that are on low pH soils are looking poorer. Grass growth has slowed. Some fairly good first cuts are being followed by lower than average second cuts and silage aftermaths are slow to get away. Forage maize has also taken a hit with the cooler weather.
Posted by SAC Consulting on 20/06/2024
