Crop updates: March 2025

_{Yellow rust in wheat.}

Our regular round up of the issues affecting crops around Scotland, summarises how crops are developing, and what weather and other issues are affecting them. The update provides information on the progress with key field work activities as well as news on the pest, weed and disease problems being noted in crops. The health issues being seen in crops are a key part of the topical update and lets growers and agronomists adjust management practices appropriately.

14 March 2025

General Comments

Disease levels are generally low but in wheat crops there is septoria at trace levels as well as yellow rust in Fife and Borders, including a few reports from varieties that should be resistant. Winter barley crops have only low levels of disease but rhynchosporium is easy to find. The main grumble is still pigeon damage in winter oilseed rape. Winter cereals are occasionally a bit yellow and ready for nitrogen.

Regional Comments

CAITHNESS
Some excellent progress with ploughing and, but for a break in the weather these past few days, grain drills would have been out in force. With more dampness and a drop in temperature, patience will be key. Feed barley still in short supply in the area but plenty of available hay, silage, and straw. Winter crops have been looking extremely well for the time of year.

MORAY
Like much of the North and North-East of the country, Moray has been experiencing a spell of good, dry and reasonably warm weather, until this week that is. That good spell has allowed a lot of ploughing, lime spreading and ground preparation to take place and several fields of spring barley in the area are now sown. In terms of winter sown crops, many have now had an application of fertiliser following the end of the NVZ closed period and are looking good. Some winter barley crops, mid tillering, have a reasonable amount of rhynchosporium present but wheat crops, mainly at 1 tiller, seem cleaner. Oilseed rape crops are now at stem extension stage and will be receiving light leaf spot sprays soon.

ABERDEENSHIRE
The last couple of weeks of warm fine weather has got everyone excited, with ploughing, muck spreading and spreading of fertiliser going on at a pace, taking advantage of the good weather and ground conditions. This week has seen normal service resume, with a cold wet and sleety blast from the north making it feel cold again. Winter crops appear to have come through the winter quite well, with good plant populations present (unlike last year), and are greening up well following the fine spell of recent weather, with minimal disease at present. Seed dressers are busy amongst spring cereals at present, and there has been reports of some early sowing being done on light land.

BANFF & BUCHAN
The unexpected dry spell has allowed groundwork to be brought up to date – ploughing is almost there barring some of those with land under environmental schemes, lime has been spread, and a few brave souls have even tried some seedbed cultivations. Winter barley crops and oilseed rapes have had their first batch of nitrogen and while the dry weather has meant machines have been able to travel without too much difficulty it has also meant that much of it remains on the surface. Some manganese deficiency is starting to show in barley fields although this is to be expected and is easily remedied. While it has been dry, it has remained cold, and crops are slow to get away although overall, seem to have come through the winter well.

KINCARDINESHIRE
A settled spell of weather over the last few weeks has allowed field work to progress with many growers catching up with ploughing. Soil conditions are very good, and ploughing is drying nicely. In some of the earlier areas spring beans and oats are starting to be sown and some spring barley. Soil conditions although dry are still cold. All winter crops have now had their first dose of nitrogen. Winter barley has come through the winter very well, there is little, or no sign of frost heave and crops are tillering well. Crops were beginning to yellow before the first nitrogen dose but have since greened up. There are signs of rhynchosporium in crops, but these are mainly on the old leaves and new growth is clean. Winter wheat again has come through the winter very well with some early drilled crops well developed for the time of year. Nitrogen and growth regulator management will be key. Again, there are signs of septoria in crops, but this is mainly on lower leaves. Oilseed rape is entering stem elongation and has enjoyed the warmer weather. Light leaf spot can be found in crops, but they will soon receive their spring fungicide application. Grass is beginning to grow.

ANGUS
A continued cold but predominantly dry spell has tempted a few seed drills out into fields with spring beans now mostly sown and spring barley being sown in coastal areas or on lighter land. Ground conditions are good although soil temperatures are still low. Winter oilseed rape is motoring through growth stages with buds now rising above the leaves. Winter cereals look good, and most have now received some nutrition and are responding well.

PERTHSHIRE
Ploughing is now mostly complete and although ground conditions are good most are holding off with the seed drill as yet. Conditions have been good for fertiliser applications and crops are now getting a hold of the nutrients and greening up. Oilseed rape doesn’t seem to notice the temperature and is growing rapidly with most crops now at green bud stage and awaiting light leaf spot sprays.

FIFE
Winter crops have had or are in the process of having early nitrogen applications. Some winter barley fields are at the stage of T0, some have mildew and early signs of rhynchosporium and manganese deficiency – these fields will have a T0 fungicide and manganese application over the next week or so, when weather permits. Winter wheats have low levels of septoria, but yellow rust and mildew are mostly keeping a low profile so far, some yellow rust can be found in the Fife coastal area. Winter oilseed rape crops are starting to stretch with crops between ankle and welly-boot height. Crops that have had no fungicide so far have light leaf spot requiring control. Pre-emergent weed control and graminicides have worked well. Spring beans and early spring barley sowing is being tried this week.

STIRLINGSHIRE
We've experienced some interesting weather in Stirling over late February and early March. Temperatures remained relatively low, with daytime highs often between 2°C and 5°C. However, as March began, we saw a notable warming trend, with temperatures reaching up to 14.7°C last weekend before cooling again in the following days. In terms of rainfall, the west of Stirling has received significantly more than the east, leaving some areas still too wet to travel. However, lighter soils have been more workable, allowing for muck spreading, ploughing, fertiliser applications, and slurry spreading to resume. So far, no spring crops have been sown, but in some areas, seedbeds are ready. The situation for winter cereals and oilseed rape remains much the same as in the last update. Crops are generally looking well, mostly free from disease and weed pressure. However, many are showing signs of nitrogen deficiency, with pale plants and older leaves turning yellow from the tips down. Oilseed rape in many places is recovering from pigeon damage which we expect as we go through the season to see a reduced canopy density but also uneven growth and delayed flowering, but time will tell. Some fields have already received their first nitrogen applications last weekend, but others are in urgent need of a boost to encourage tillering and maintain crop health.

LOTHIANS
A dry and cold start to the month and apart from an unseasonally warm weekend over the 8th and 9th, daytime temperatures are expected to remain around 11 degrees or lower through the rest of the month. A tentative start has been made working down winter ploughed ground given the dry conditions but with soil temperatures slow to rise there’s no urgency to get crops established. First nitrogen applications are however going on. Cereal disease pressure is currently low, and most cereal crops are looking well-structured ahead of stem extension. Unfortunately, oilseed rape crops are showing a much higher degree of variability due to differing establishment success in the autumn, compounded since then by the unrelenting pigeon grazing pressure.

BORDERS
The mild and dry conditions of early March have allowed fertiliser to be applied to many crops and spring sowing has commenced. The return to below average temperatures has slowed plant development, but rape continues to extend with flower buds visible above leaves. Winter wheat and barley remain at the tillering stage whilst hybrid rye is now at GS30. Disease levels remain low across all crops.

LANARKSHIRE
Winter crops within Lanarkshire appear to be holding up well and the recent drier, milder weather is allowing many farmers to get slurry onto the land and to look ahead to ploughing in preparation for the spring crops going in the ground. Grass growth is beginning to pick up with the fields becoming greener as we move toward spring. Lambing is well underway across the region with calving not far behind.

AYRSHIRE
The weather has really changed in this last fortnight, starting off cold, with frost not uncommon and transitioning to mild and wet and now you would think we were in June – the sun is splitting the sky. Most winter crops are well into tillering now, with fields walked recording between GS23–25, some even as far on as 29. Some fields could be showing signs of nitrogen deficiency, with yellow tips present in patches, though not uniformly throughout the crop, fertiliser is going on so this should sort itself out. Some ploughing of lighter land but heavier ground still needing some time to dry out. Pest and disease burdens appear low, but we are still early enough for that.

Posted by SAC Consulting on 17/03/2025