Plan and prioritise key arable farming jobs this April

Crop Progress

Crops continue to look well, despite March being a much wetter month. But even where there has been heavy rain and maybe pooling of water on fields it hasn’t lasted long, so soils are probably not at full water holding capacity yet.

Some winter barley where folk haven’t been able to apply manganese, crops are starting to look a little bit stressed and yellow.

Grant’s agronomy tips for April

1. Maintain maximum tillers in winter barley

Where initial applications of fertiliser have been applied in winter barley the rain will have washed them in and crops will be shooting away, so growth regulation will be key.

If growers were not able to apply a T0 fungicide, these will likely be due in early April. Some may decide not to bother and go straight to T1.

At T1 my choice would be Ascra (bixafen + fluopyram + prothioconazole). You’re looking to maximise tiller retention for yield, and getting on top of disease early is important to prevent tiller abortion.

An alternative is Siltra (bixafen + prothioconazole), but from our trial Ascra is the stronger product for this key timing.

Both broadleaf weed herbicides and trace elements could also be applied at this timing, but check compatibilities with complex tank mixes.

2. Watch out for Septoria and clean up weeds in winter wheat

There’s quite a lot of Septoria kicking about in winter wheat already, especially in varieties like Illuminate. While most of the focus this month will be on T0s for yellow rust and mildew, crops in the Borders could be far enough forward for T1s later in April.

If you want to check whether there is any latent disease in crops that’s not showing visually as yet, we have out free CropCheck service in place again. Leaf samples are sent off to NIAB for qPCR analysis with a turnaround of 1-2 days. You can contact me for a sample kit.

It’s a recurring theme, but Ascra at 1-1.2 L/ha plus or minus a multi-site will be my recommendation for T1 sprays – it’s good against Septoria and the other key diseases at this timing. Eyespot could be one to keep an eye on – I’ve seen a little stem based browning already in March.

With the weather being less than helpful in March generally, there might still be weed control to finish off in April. Mesosulfuron-based products, like Pacifica Plus (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron + amidosulfuron) and Atlantis Star (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron + thiencarbazone) are likely choices where difficult grassweeds are present. Try to make weeds are actively growing and avoid fluctuating day and night time temperatures for optimal crop safety.

Leaf tissue analysis can also be useful in April to help guide micronutrient applications, and there might be just about enough time to do soil nitrogen cores, which can help you understand what nitrogen is in the soil and could save you some money.

3. Light leaf spot is a big risk in oilseed rape

Our SpotCheck service in oilseed rape is continuing to find high levels of light leaf spot in crops. Ideally this would be taken care of with a stem extension spray to stop it moving up the plant as the crop grows away.

But if that hasn’t been taken care of with a stem extension spray, it will need considering with flowering sprays.

Once the crop is 10-20% in flower, it is time to consider first applications for light leaf spot and Sclerotinia. Aviator (bixafen + prothioconazole) will cover both diseases and gives two modes of action against light leaf spot, which is important for resistance management.

If flowering is protracted you might need a second spray three weeks after the first. Prothioconazole is a good option for the second application.

4. Maintain moisture in spring barley

With the rain in March there is potential for spring barley and spring oats to get off to a really good start this season from April drillings. Get the ground worked when you can, sow, roll and consolidate to maintain moisture. Once the seed germinates with a bit of warmth it should crack on well.

In spring barley, Liberator (flufenacet + diflufenican) is available to use pre-emergence for control of annual meadowgrass and broadleaf seeds. With the moisture there should also be a good chance of a flush of weeds.

5. Last chance for PCN IPM ahead of potato planting

Before starting potato planting and using nematicides, consider whether you have used all the other integrated protection methods, such as using resistant and / or tolerant varieties, soil analysis and nematode counts, etc.

With only one granular nematicide left in nemathorin, and the liquid one Velum Prime (fluopyram), growers should be thinking of the bigger picture. Velum is not a silver bullet, but it is an option to reduce both potato cyst nematode and free-living nematode.

6. Plan activities and prioritise

April can be an extremely busy month, and even more so this year with little opportunity to do much field work in March. There’s likely to be a long list of jobs to do in April, so it is worth spending a little time planning out what needs to happen and prioritising key tasks.