Crop Health Updates - December 2020
General Comments
As an extraordinary year comes to an end and most field work is put to bed until early 2021, the next few weeks can provide a period of reflection and time to think about plans for 2021. The uncertainties surrounding Brexit continue but we may have some sort of resolution by the end of the year! The UK Government has provided some information regarding pesticides post-Brexit which is outlined within this Crop Protection Report.
As usual the weather has been hampering many field activities and some operations such as herbicide and fungicide applications will need to be done in the spring. There is still time before hard frosts are common to undertake soil sampling for nutrients, nematodes and diseases in advance of the spring cropping for crops such as potatoes, carrots and cereals.
Thank you for reading us this year and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and we look forward to seeing you in 2021
Diseases
Crop establishment is mixed in some areas with tillering occurring in some, but others still a bit behind.
Winter Wheat - December 2020
Diseases
Crops are looking decidedly mixed going into the winter, with many struggling and reports on some later sown crops unlikely to emerge in waterlogged conditions. Read more here
Spring Barley - December 2020
Pests
Bear in mind that spring barley can get badly affected by wheat bulb fly, particularly if sown before mid-March.
Read more here
Winter Oilseed Rape - December 2020
Diseases
Many crops have not received a light leaf spot fungicide treatment due to the conditions underfoot. If you have not managed to get a spray on you will just need to accept that the incidence of disease will be higher in the spring and try and manage accordingly then.
Read more here
Forward planning for 2021 – sampling for nematodes
It is never too early to sample soils for nematodes, particularly as sampling fields when the soil is moist gives the most accurate estimate of nematode populations (especially free-living nematodes). The populations of potato cyst nematode (PCN) being found in ware land in particular have increased dramatically over the last 10 years and in some cases are unmanageable, requiring a 15 year break from potatoes to reduce populations to manageable levels.
Farm Buildings - December 2020
Grain Pests
We would recommend that growers monitor grain temperature regularly - not cooling during winter may be due to pest activity heating the grain.
Read more here
Pesticide News - December 2020
With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit on so many levels, there has been some clarity regarding the future and current registrations and approvals of plant protection products (PPPs) from the UK Government.
Read more here
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