Crop Health
Weeds in Winter cereals, May 2019
Most winter cereal crops are now past the growth stage where annual meadow-grass can be adequately controlled. However, there are still opportunities to tidy up broad-leaved weeds such as cleavers,…
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Pests in Winter cereals, May 2019
The warm spell in mid-April did lead to some flying cereal aphids being caught in Scottish suction traps, so it’s worth checking for aphids on leaves on warm sunny days,…
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Pests in soft fruits, April 2019
Raspberry growers should continue to check at night for double-dart moth caterpillars and clay-coloured weevils. Double-dart moth caterpillars are 2-2.5 cm in length, brown in colour with a distinctive V-shaped…
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Pests in carrots & parsnips, April 2019
Carrot flies are forecast to emerge and fly into carrot crops in late April, with egg laying beginning from early May. Crops that were sown with seed treated with Force…
Read More >Weeds in Spring crops, April 2019
Spring barley If annual meadow-grass is a potential problem in establishing spring barley, then a residual herbicide is the best option for effective control. This is particularly relevant to reduced…
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Disease in Winter oats, April 2019
We are not seeing much in the way of mildew coming through in reports as yet and it is one of the major targets of fungicides used in winter oats.…
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Aphids in Winter cereals, April 2019
Look for aphids on leaves on warm sunny days, and consider an aphicide if aphid colonies can be found on 50% of plants. Aphids are probably not going to start…
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Maintaining Scotland’s high health status for potatoes
New pest and disease threats and pesticide losses through legislation and resistance development are cross cutting issues across all our crops at the moment and potatoes are no exception. Our…
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Pests in oilseed rape, April 2019
With many crops already at green-yellow bud, there is a risk from pollen beetle damage to the buds, giving rise to blind-stalks with no flowers or pods forming on them.…
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Diseases in oilseed rape, April 2019
Fungicide sprays targeting light leaf spot will be imminent when conditions dry up and allow field operations again – many crops are now extending away and at green bud stages.…
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