
Another wet start...a round up from our Regional Agronomy Managers
So, as we prepare to launch our weekly crop protection updates, we find out from our team of agronomy managers how crops are looking throughout the UK and discuss a few of the headline topics to start thinking about as the spring draws nearer.

Looking back, how did the autumn drilling season progress, and how well or badly did crops establish?
David Griffiths – Senior Agronomy Manager, West & North West
September drilling started well for most growers in the West and North West, but this came to an abrupt halt when wet weather arrived in early October. In fact, the whole of October was pretty much a washout, and at one point it looked as though autumn ’24 was going to make autumn ‘23 look like an easy ride. Thankfully, November was more helpful with the majority of any remaining drilling completed during this period. Any land that remained too wet will most probably be planted with spring barley or potentially put to an SFI option.
Holly Pratt – Senior Agronomy Manager, East
Drilling in the autumn went well in the eastern counties, even though the heavy rains that arrived at the beginning of October did have everyone in a panic for a while. Thankfully conditions dried up nicely towards the second half of the month which made for some good crops going in later. As it turned out, some growers in the region even managed to drill a little more wheat than originally planned.
Alexandria Bell – Regional Agronomy Manager, Northeast
The majority of winter cereal and oilseed rape crops have been planted in the northeast, albeit some went into the ground slightly behind schedule, particularly in Lincolnshire where drilling was delayed by up to four weeks in some cases. On the whole cereals have established well, with some OSR crops looking really good. Bean drilling has been the exception to the rule, with some growers being forced to delay drilling until the spring due to a shortage of winter beans.
Michael Farr – Regional Agronomy Manager, South
Autumn drilling was a massive challenge for growers throughout the south, with the heavy rains that arrived in mid-September putting a rapid stop to any thoughts of completing drilling early. A wet October followed, with the bulk of drilling therefore being delayed until November. This has resulted in a lot of quite backward cereal crops, although winter OSR in general is looking quite good with, thankfully, low levels of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle larvae.
Alistair Eccles – Key Account and Agronomy Manager, Scotland
Growers in Scotland have benefitted from excellent autumn conditions. Dry weather throughout September and the majority of October allowed all winter crops to be drilled into great seedbed conditions with wheat drilling successfully completed by early November.
As we get closer to the spring, how are those crops already in the ground looking and how have they been affected by the winter weather?
DG: Despite being drilled well into November, most crops look in good order. Of course, there’s the odd disaster here and there, particularly in wet areas of fields, but as we stand now, we’re definitely in a better position than this time last year. One could question the potential of some of the region’s thinner looking crops, but I think it is too early to predict how well they’ll perform come harvesting. A lot will obviously depend on how the weather behaves when crops try to start growing again in March and April. In the meantime, levers like nutrition management can be pulled to thicken out slightly thin plant stands. In terms of disease, the recent cold snap will have put the brakes on any brown rust that may have been overwintering. Yellow rust is always more of a risk with thinner, later drilled crops but again, the cold weather should have slowed that down. Septoria always bubbles away quietly in the background but with thinner, later drilled crops, the risk is currently lower. Again though, the weather in March and April will have a bigger bearing on septoria pressure, even if the background pressure is relatively low at the moment.
HP: Although there are some very wet fields around and about, most crops are generally looking well. This is particularly true in the eastern half of my region which luckily managed to avoid the worst of the recent storms. Conditions have also been reasonably mild for most of the winter, with just a short spell of frosty conditions in January. Crops therefore remain in good condition and on schedule. The weather has had an impact on herbicide programmes, with some rethinking needed where timings were missed and where there was a worry of potential crop damage. The fact that crops were drilled later means blackgrass emergence is low, but slugs have been a constant issue throughout the autumn and winter due to the mild and wet conditions.
AB: OSR crops established well in the autumn, with the majority receiving their planned herbicide treatments on time. Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle pressure appears to be less severe this year and certainly isn’t causing anything like the same disruption that we’ve seen in recent years. In contrast, phoma and light leaf spot infections have been seen slightly earlier, with pigeons currently the main cause for concern. Some Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus has been noted in cereals crops, but overall crops are looking healthy. The recent spell of cold weather will hopefully have helped to keep slugs and other pests at bay, but the downside to these conditions is that any crops which were standing in icy water will likely have some die back. There’s also a risk of frost heave and lodging where the ground has frozen, thawed and then re-frozen.
MF: The region’s wet autumn and late drilling has resulted in cereal crops which are generally quite backward, albeit with little or no disease. In contrast, phoma levels have been high in winter OSR, with the current spell of weather favouring the development of Light Leaf Spot. January’s cold snap will undoubtedly have pegged cereals back, but it’s interesting to note that later drilled crops which were sown at a higher seed rate seem to have been less adversely affected. Oilseed rape checks are ongoing as I type, but it’s clear from my first few farm visits that pigeons will need some serious management. As the spring draws nearer growers will be gearing up to make cereal herbicide top-ups, with OSR herbicide and fungicide applications also high on the agenda.
AE: Most of the cereal crops I’ve seen are looking well thanks to having been established in good conditions. As a result, and because they haven’t been sitting under water throughout the winter months, they have stood up well to the recent spell of very cold and decidedly wintry conditions, with the mild spell over the Christmas period helping them to hold onto their colour. For any crops that might have been drilled a little later than expected, there are concerns that herbicide applications might have been missed, so growers need to be on the front foot in the spring.
How have cropping plans been amended to compensate for the tricky conditions?
HP: After a couple of years of disruption, it at last feels as though winter cropping is back where it should be. Certainly, more fields have been put back into production this winter compared to last, with growers hopefully able to recover some of the damage done to their rotational plans and soil structures during the 2023/24 season.
AB: Following the favourable autumn which allowed machinery to travel early, most of the region was planted up ahead of time. In most cases the usual array of crops has been sown, but some growers have opted for SFI approved options to mitigate some of the risk associated with crops such as OSR of which some growers have decided to plant a reduced area.
MF: Despite the wet autumn, cereal plantings are not a complete disaster. Where winter wheat has gone undrilled, growers are expected to compensate by increasing their area of spring barley, spring oats and maize.
AE: It’s pleasing to report that overall, the winter cropping area is back to normal in my region, with no rotational issues foreseen for the spring.
What should be at the forefront of thoughts for growers, spray operators and agronomist over the coming weeks?
DG: It’ll vary on a case-by-case basis, with growers and agronomists needing to react to whatever they find during their crop walks. This time last year we all assumed crops had a reduced potential because of the wet winter, but when T1 arrived disease pressure was sky high, and crops had to be treated accordingly. It’s too early to make any decisions on what herbicide and fungicide programmes should or shouldn’t include as crop potential and grain prices can change so quickly, but the ultimate driver in terms of profit is always yield so it’s important to protect that as much as possible. Crop inputs such as nutrition and disease protection will provide a proven return on investment as long as appropriate applications are made on time, with any unviable cost cutting more than likely to have a negative impact.
HP: While it's probably a little early to be thinking about field work in the next few weeks, first thoughts will be focussing on prepping land for spring drilling. In some cases, spring barley will be drilled as soon as conditions allow, so be ready to apply contact herbicides as soon as good growing conditions arrive. The season’s first fertiliser applications will also need to be planned, as will any T0 or PGR treatments.
AB: The key focus will be spring drilling and top dressings. Herbicide top-ups to control broadleaved weeds and spring germinating grasses are also just around the corner – assuming spring arrives on time.
MF: Winter OSR crops will soon require their spring herbicide and fungicide treatments, with ADAMA’s Fox a great option for those combatting broadleaved weeds such as Charlock and Speedwell, and Soratel a good choice against Light Leaf Spot. In terms of cereal protection, consider using Tower, Tribal and even Fox where Groundsel, Blackgrass or Rye Grass are a concern. Early nitrogen applications to aid tillering should also be thought about, as should regular monitoring for brown rust. And keep on top of those pigeons!
AE: With crops and rotations currently proceeding as planned in Scotland, it’s simply a case of paying attention to nitrogen levels and applying a PGR to check any really forward crops.
Bishops Frome (above)
WE’RE ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY
To discuss any of the points mentioned above, or to find out more about any of ADAMA’s fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides or plant growth regulators, please contact your local ADAMA Agronomy Manager… we’re only a phone call away.
David Griffiths
Field Sales Manager (UK & Ireland) - West/North West
07771 372689
Holly Pratt
Senior Agronomy Manager - East
07340 469643
Alexandria Bell
Agronomy Manager - North East
07940 999484
Alistair Eccles
Agronomy Manager - Scotland
07887 683730
Michael Farr
Agronomy Manager - South
07756 295644