RAM roundup - New Year, New Challenges, and New Opportunities
As we launch a new series of weekly crop protection updates, many parts of the UK are sitting under a blanket of snow, slush or meltwater that were brought to our shores on the winds of Storm Goretti. In this opening article, ADAMA’s regional agronomy managers look at how those crops already in the ground have fared since the autumn, how the recent spell of wintry weather is likely to affect progress, and highlight a few of the headline topics for growers, agronomists and sprayer operators to start thinking about as the spring draws nearer.
Looking back to the final few months of 2025, how did the autumn drilling season unfold and what were the season’s biggest challenges?
Holly Pratt – Senior Agronomy Manager, East
Autumn 2025 was characterised by what I would describe as more 'normal' conditions, with drilling able to progress well and the majority of crops sown in good conditions. Seedbeds contained a good amount of moisture which enabled crops to germinate quickly, with the overall level of establishment good going into the winter. It was really pleasing to be able to look around and see fields of green, healthy crops developing!
Michael Farr – Regional Agronomy Manager, South
The first two-thirds of 2025 brought many challenges to a lot of growers in my region, but a near perfect autumn went some way to restoring our faith in farming across the South of England. Conditions in August and September, when there was plenty of moisture and warmth in the ground, made for good oilseed rape establishment, with low slug and cabbage stem flea beetle numbers meaning the majority of crops developed well and are looking very good (the sort of crops you can easily lose a Labrador in!).
Winter cereals have also gone in well, with hedge-to-hedge establishment. In fact, with the water table being so low, even the really ‘wet’ corners of fields are looking good. Hopefully, having the whole field established will help to keep yield averages up.
Alexandria Bell – Regional Agronomy Manager, Northeast and Scotland
Growers in the North East of England took advantage of a very favourable autumn with crops being drilled in good conditions. The beneficial weather and ground conditions made for easy travel across most land, which means we, thankfully, haven’t had a repeat of the 2023/2024 cropping season, and we’ve got some very good winter crops in the ground. It was a similar situation north of the border into Scotland, although there was slightly less rainfall than there has been in previous years which left some growers waiting for a short while for optimum drilling conditions to materialise. Despite this slight delay, most people did manage to complete their autumn drilling a couple of weeks earlier than their neighbours further south. The pleasant autumn has also enabled growers to make a head start on spring field drilling preparations.
David Griffiths – UK Technical Manager, West & North West
What a difference this winter has been in comparison to the previous couple! After two exceptionally wet winters, it was clear from the very outset that a large proportion of growers were intent on getting this year’s crops into the ground as early as possible, and, for once, the weather has played ball. After 2025’s dry summer, those growers with enough time and patience were even able to create stale seedbeds prior to drilling.
Drilling in my patch really got underway in September and, given the dry conditions, I was amazed by how well the ground worked down. As a result, most seedbeds were fantastic, with just enough rain coming in small amounts to get crops started and going on to emerge quickly from hedge to hedge without the gaps and wet spots of previous years.
One downside to this early drilling was that some crops probably didn't get quite enough moisture for pre-emergence herbicides to work to the best of their abilities, but at least the favourable autumn weather allowed for follow-up sprays to be applied. There have been a few challenges in terms of grassweed control, but thankfully these are few and far between and in the main, autumn establishment is positive, and crop potential looks excellent as we edge closer to spring.
How are the crops that were drilled last autumn currently looking, and how have they been affected by the recent wintry conditions?
HP: In the majority of the Eastern Counties, autumn rainfall was around the average for this part of the world, although some localised areas did receive a slightly higher than average amount of precipitation in November. Ambient temperatures were also slightly higher than average at the back end of the year, with crops enjoying the ability to develop at pace in the warm and damp conditions. The good conditions also enabled the majority of herbicide, insecticide and fungicide treatments to be applied with not much slowing the sprayers down.
However, as I write this update, there’s a couple of centimetres of snow outside which will undoubtedly slow progress and could potentially delay any imminent fieldwork, especially if conditions remain wet.
MF: With the water table being so low in the autumn, any rain events over the past few months have been very welcome. So too have the recent sub-zero temperatures – with rusts being such a hot topic of conversation due to the change in variety sensitivities, the cold weather should make early disease management a little easier.
AB: Most crops have coped well with the current period of variable weather, with the frosts of recent weeks short enough in duration not to have had much of an impact. Most ground in the northeast of England has taken the rainfall well, although there is some localised standing water starting to appear on flood plains. In Scotland, some areas were under a blanket of snow from New Years Day until the middle of the month, with this providing an element of protection against frost damage when temperatures dropped as low as -8oC.
As I type, there’s a big thaw taking place, resulting in some regionalised flooding. The impact of this will need to be assessed in the coming weeks (assuming the floods subside), while those crops in areas that haven’t experienced the extreme weather are sitting dormant and just waiting on the warmer temperatures to arrive.
DG: With crop establishment so good early in the autumn, crops seem to be dealing well with the recent wintry conditions. Where we have had snow, it has been relatively short-lived, and most crops have developed a good root system which has enabled them to deal with the wet conditions that have followed as the snow has thawed.
How have this year’s conditions shaped current cropping plans?
HP: Unlike the previous two years when the weather had a serious impact on autumn drilling plans, this year there seems to have been little getting in the way of putting crops in the ground. In fact, it’s fair to say that a little more winter wheat has been drilled where the conditions were favourable.
MF: Feed is in short supply in the livestock sector after 2025’s poor grass and maize harvests, so we’re expecting to see more of both being planted in the southwest. Peas and linseed also seem to be in favour this year, with their decent potential gross margins helping them to take precedent over beans on many farms.
AB: The favourable conditions have resulted in more winter crops being drilled in favour of spring-sown alternatives. This has also been driven by the challenges presented by the wider market, with the downturn in malting barley prices resulting in a smaller area of this key Scottish crop being sown.
DG: Because the autumn was so favourable and the vast majority of wheat went in as planned, some growers decided to make the most of the conditions by continuing to drill additional winter wheat on land which would usually have been earmarked for spring cropping. The majority of oilseed rape crops look good (in places too good), so very few fields will need to be redrilled in the spring as a result of autumn failures.
What should be at the forefront of thoughts for growers, spray operators and agronomist over the coming weeks?
HP: As I sit here with snow on the ground, the boiler buzzing away, and the dog curled up at my feet, it seems spring is a lifetime away. But it won't be long until fields will need walking to check the efficacy of autumn herbicide programmes and to determine whether an early spring herbicide treatment will be needed. With some strong, lush, forward crops out there, septoria is likely to present in a lot of winter wheats, with mildew also likely to be threatening a significant proportion of cereals. Any early warnings signs of either of these diseases shouldn’t be ignored, especially if the mild conditions persist – an early and resolute decision will be required to balance the need to protect yield potential while avoiding unnecessary spend.
MF: Weed control is always a key consideration as the spring approaches, with FOX an ideal option for the removal of weeds in oilseed rape and cereals.
FOX provides great control of Charlock in OSR (be on the lookout for any small plants in the bottom of the canopy which have not been hit by frost) and is also very good against speedwell and other problem weeds like hedge mustard, fumitory and poppy.
In cereals, TOWER is a really useful addition to ryegrass, brome and black-grass programmes and should be used to top up and stay on top of grassweed pressure. And it’s also useful against groundsel.
Finally, SORATEL provides good control of light leaf spot in winter oilseed rape and should be used as soon as any signs of disease are identified. As the spring thaw sets in diseases are bound to rush into action, so monitor crops closely. Of course, keep an eye out for pigeons in oilseed rape – with crops holding so much potential, it would be a travesty to let our feathered friends do their worst.
AB: Most winter crops have progressed at full steam and are slightly more advanced than in recent years. Herbicide programmes have also done well, although some challenging fields may require a follow-up weed treatment: it’s particularly important to keep an eye out for the first signs of bromes, black-grass and resistant ryegrass, and to be on the lookout for the early signs of diseases such as septoria and rust in cereals, and light leaf spot and stem canker in OSR so that protectant treatments can be applied.
It's also important to be vigilant for the first signs of annual meadowgrass and groundsel and to keep ahead of these (and all other weeds) to ensure the winter’s strong crops remain unimpaired so that they have a fighting chance of producing bumper yields later in the year.
DG: After such a good start I think it’s important to focus on the positives. Agriculture is clearly going through a testing time, and a higher wheat price would certainly be welcome, but we have to work with what we have. What we have is fantastic looking crops that are full of potential. Regardless of the wheat price now or in the future, a bigger pile of wheat in your shed is worth more than a small pile, so it’s worth looking after crops to ensure they reach their potential.
Thick, lush crops will carry a higher disease burden which will need to be managed accordingly. We have the tools in the box to achieve good levels of disease control, and with the ADAMA portfolio we have some very cost-effective options such as ARIZONA (folpet) which boosts yields and profit margins.
Fertiliser inputs will also need to be managed carefully. As an old boss used to tell me, “Crops won't grow without it", but timing nitrogen inputs to get the most out of the crop will be important this season to ensure crop biomass and grain fill are maximised later in the season.
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.
