Wheat

April

What's happening in wheat in April

The dry winter means there has been plenty of residual nitrogen in the ground, and after rain in early March, winter cereals have picked that up and are looking fantastic.

Winter wheat crops are now moving rapidly and most are now at, or near, growth stage 30 leading into April. Even late-drilled crops are relatively forward due to the mild winter. Similarly, winter barley crops are growing quickly and reaching growth stage 30/31.

Early plant growth regulators are also now being applied to the most forward cereal crops. Classic dead heart symptoms, caused by wheat bulb fly, are appearing in wheat. Little can be done other than early nitrogen and rolling fields to help the crop thrive past the damage.

Although weather has been relatively dry through March, foliar diseases such as Septoria are present in winter wheat crops. If it turns wet during April, it could be a high disease year and applying a T0 fungicide will help suppress inoculum until the important T1 timing.

Some of the more forward wheats will reach the T1 fungicide timing later in April.

Priorities this month (location dependent):

• Consider protecting against eyespot at T1 fungicide timing in wheat
• Dissect main stems to get T1 wheat fungicide timing correct
• Monitor wheat disease risk in the field, not from the office

March

What's happening in wheat in March

The dry winter means there has been plenty of residual nitrogen in the ground, and after rain in early March, winter cereals have picked that up and are looking fantastic.

Winter wheat crops are now moving rapidly and most are now at, or near, growth stage 30 leading into April. Even late-drilled crops are relatively forward due to the mild winter. Similarly, winter barley crops are growing quickly and reaching growth stage 30/31.

Early plant growth regulators are also now being applied to the most forward cereal crops. Classic dead heart symptoms, cause by wheat bulb fly, are appearing in wheat. Little can be done other than early nitrogen and rolling fields to help the crop thrive past the damage.

Although weather has been relatively dry through March, foliar diseases such as Septoria 

Priorities this month (location dependent):

• Complete grassweed herbicide programmes now to avoid workload and tank mix complications later on in the season
• Monitor crops for the development of foliar disease
• Assess weather conditions and consider a T0 fungicide later in the month if conditions allow

February

What's happening in wheat in February

While it may feel like winter is still upon us, February is an important month for root and shoot development in wheat crops. However, this time of year comes with the challenge of finding suitable spraying conditions.

If conditions are suitable then early nitrogen can encourage tillering, which is particularly beneficial if establishment has been poor. February also presents an opportunity to apply black-grass herbicides, especially if dry, sunny weather is forecast and the black-grass is still relatively small.

Priorities this month (location dependent):

• Assess weather conditions ahead of time to identify potential opportunities to spray
• Consider an early nitrogen application, especially if establishment has been poor
• Evaluate black-grass prevalence and consider adjusting your weed control strategy to accommodate

Tools

To help on your farm

View our selection of tools to help with your crop

Phytobac

A simple and effective way to deal with dilute washings and tackle the problem of point source pollution on farms.

Agronomy tool app

Available for Android and iPhone. Download this FREE app today to help you identify pests and weeds in your fields.  Also includes all our product documents.

easyFlow M

A closed transfer, metering and cleaning system for liquid chemicals from Bayer and agrotop.

T2

Control Septoria and boost your wheat yields.

With 40% of yield contribution coming from the flag leaf getting the very best disease control at T2 can have significant upsides for your final yield. 

A T2 spray’s prime focus should be on controlling Septoria – the most widespread and biggest yield stealing disease in wheat, whilst also cleaning the top two leaves of any disease that may have developed since the T1 timing.

There are many options for T2 sprays available but even small percentage increases of control can have big impacts on final yields. Picking a trusted fungicide with proven performance will help you to get the very most from your crop and maximise your yield returns at harvest.

As part of our Judge for Yourself trials, 50 farmers tested AscraXpro against competitor treatments with a mean positive yield benefit of 0.3 t/ha.