What to sow, grow, harvest and scout for this month, north and south of the equator. October is autumn in the north and spring in the south.
Typical sowing and harvest windows for broad climate zones, for planning and study. Inside every zone the real dates move with latitude, altitude, rainfall onset, irrigation and variety, sometimes by a month or more. Your national crop calendar, extension service or seed supplier decides; this page tells you what to be thinking about.
Temperate north
Europe, North America, northern China, Korea and Japan, Central Asia · autumn
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Harvest now
Scout for
- Black cutworm on Maize, Cotton, Potato, Cabbage, Sugar beet, Sunflower, Soybean · favoured by: Weedy fields before planting, reduced or no tillage with crop residues, low-lying fields that flooded earlier…
- Barnyard grass on Rice, Maize, Soybean, Cotton, Sugar beet · favoured by: Direct-seeded rice (especially dry-seeded) with no standing water early on, poor land levelling, shallow or no…
- Sclerotinia white mould (stem rot) on Soybean, Rapeseed, Sunflower, Potato, Cabbage · favoured by: Frequent susceptible crops in the rotation, dense canopies and narrow rows that keep the soil surface moist…
- Beet armyworm on Sugar beet, Cotton, Cabbage, Soybean · favoured by: Hot, dry weather; weedy fields and field edges; large areas of host crops; and broad-spectrum sprays that…
- Charcoal rot (dry root rot) on Soybean, Maize, Sunflower, Cotton · favoured by: Hot, dry weather and drought stress during flowering and grain or pod filling, sandy soils with low…
- Cotton bollworm (Old World bollworm) on Cotton, Maize, Soybean, Sunflower · favoured by: Warm, dry weather; a landscape with a succession of flowering hosts (for example maize, sorghum and chickpea…
- Egyptian cotton leafworm on Cotton, Maize, Potato, Soybean · favoured by: Warm temperatures, continuous host crops such as Egyptian clover before cotton, irrigation, and heavy…
- Fall armyworm on Maize, Rice, Cotton, Wheat · favoured by: Warm weather with dry spells between rains favours outbreaks; heavy rain drowns young larvae in the whorl.…
Mediterranean and dry north
The Mediterranean basin, North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia, California · autumn
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Harvest now
Get ready for November
Scout for
- Desert locust on Wheat, Maize, Barley, Date palm · favoured by: Unusually heavy or widespread rain in desert breeding areas (for example after cyclones over the Arabian…
- Bird cherry-oat aphid on Wheat, Barley, Maize · favoured by: Early sowing of autumn cereals into warm soils, mild autumns and winters, a 'green bridge' of volunteer…
- Black cutworm on Maize, Cotton, Potato · favoured by: Weedy fields before planting, reduced or no tillage with crop residues, low-lying fields that flooded earlier…
- Egyptian cotton leafworm on Cotton, Maize, Potato · favoured by: Warm temperatures, continuous host crops such as Egyptian clover before cotton, irrigation, and heavy…
- Fall armyworm on Maize, Cotton, Wheat · favoured by: Warm weather with dry spells between rains favours outbreaks; heavy rain drowns young larvae in the whorl.…
- Fusarium head blight (head scab) of wheat and barley on Wheat, Barley, Maize · favoured by: Rain or prolonged humidity at flowering, wheat or barley following maize or another cereal, residues left on…
- Parthenium weed (congress grass) on Maize, Wheat, Cotton · favoured by: Disturbed or overgrazed land, bare soil after drought, roadsides and field margins, poor weed control in…
- Broad mite on Cotton, Orange, Potato · favoured by: Warm, humid weather; shaded, dense canopies; continuous production of soft new growth; infested transplants or…
Tropical and monsoon north
South Asia, mainland Southeast Asia and southern China, West Africa and the Sahel, Central America and the Caribbean · wet season
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Harvest now
Get ready for November
Scout for
- Cotton bollworm (Old World bollworm) on Cotton, Chickpea, Pigeon pea, Tomato, Maize, Sorghum, Soybean · favoured by: Warm, dry weather; a landscape with a succession of flowering hosts (for example maize, sorghum and chickpea…
- Charcoal rot (dry root rot) on Soybean, Sorghum, Maize, Groundnut, Cotton, Chickpea · favoured by: Hot, dry weather and drought stress during flowering and grain or pod filling, sandy soils with low…
- Fall armyworm on Maize, Sorghum, Rice, Millet, Cotton, Wheat · favoured by: Warm weather with dry spells between rains favours outbreaks; heavy rain drowns young larvae in the whorl.…
- Parthenium weed (congress grass) on Sorghum, Maize, Wheat, Cotton, Groundnut, Chickpea · favoured by: Disturbed or overgrazed land, bare soil after drought, roadsides and field margins, poor weed control in…
- African armyworm on Maize, Sorghum, Millet, Rice, Wheat · favoured by: The first heavy rains after a dry period, when fresh grass growth and moth concentration by storm winds…
- Beet armyworm on Cotton, Tomato, Soybean, Groundnut, Chickpea · favoured by: Hot, dry weather; weedy fields and field edges; large areas of host crops; and broad-spectrum sprays that…
- Black cutworm on Maize, Cotton, Potato, Tomato, Soybean · favoured by: Weedy fields before planting, reduced or no tillage with crop residues, low-lying fields that flooded earlier…
- Corn earworm (cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm) on Maize, Cotton, Tomato, Soybean, Sorghum · favoured by: Warm weather, large areas of maize that build up populations before moths move to cotton, tomato and soybean…
Temperate south
Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, south-eastern Australia, New Zealand, the South African highveld · spring
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Harvest now
Scout for
- Black cutworm on Maize, Potato, Tomato, Sunflower, Soybean · favoured by: Weedy fields before planting, reduced or no tillage with crop residues, low-lying fields that flooded earlier…
- Sclerotinia white mould (stem rot) on Soybean, Rapeseed, Sunflower, Potato, Tomato · favoured by: Frequent susceptible crops in the rotation, dense canopies and narrow rows that keep the soil surface moist…
- Cotton bollworm (Old World bollworm) on Tomato, Maize, Soybean, Sunflower · favoured by: Warm, dry weather; a landscape with a succession of flowering hosts (for example maize, sorghum and chickpea…
- Bird cherry-oat aphid on Wheat, Barley, Maize · favoured by: Early sowing of autumn cereals into warm soils, mild autumns and winters, a 'green bridge' of volunteer…
- Broomrapes of vegetables and legumes (branched, Egyptian and crenate broomrape) on Tomato, Potato, Rapeseed · favoured by: Repeated cropping of susceptible hosts, early sowing of winter legumes (which gives crenate broomrape a longer…
- Charcoal rot (dry root rot) on Soybean, Maize, Sunflower · favoured by: Hot, dry weather and drought stress during flowering and grain or pod filling, sandy soils with low…
- Corn earworm (cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm) on Maize, Tomato, Soybean · favoured by: Warm weather, large areas of maize that build up populations before moths move to cotton, tomato and soybean…
- Fusarium head blight (head scab) of wheat and barley on Wheat, Barley, Maize · favoured by: Rain or prolonged humidity at flowering, wheat or barley following maize or another cereal, residues left on…
Mediterranean south
South-western and southern Australia, the Western Cape, central Chile · spring
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Harvest now
Scout for
- Broomrapes of vegetables and legumes (branched, Egyptian and crenate broomrape) on Tomato, Faba bean, Lentil, Rapeseed · favoured by: Repeated cropping of susceptible hosts, early sowing of winter legumes (which gives crenate broomrape a longer…
- Cowpea aphid (black legume aphid) on Lentil, Faba bean, Chickpea · favoured by: Warm, dry spells, drought-stressed crops, late planting, ant attendance, wild legume hosts and loss of natural…
- Dodder (field dodder and relatives) on Tomato, Chickpea, Lentil · favoured by: Sowing crop seed contaminated with dodder seed, broadleaf crops grown repeatedly on infested land, broadleaf…
- Sclerotinia white mould (stem rot) on Rapeseed, Tomato, Chickpea · favoured by: Frequent susceptible crops in the rotation, dense canopies and narrow rows that keep the soil surface moist…
- Beet armyworm on Tomato, Chickpea · favoured by: Hot, dry weather; weedy fields and field edges; large areas of host crops; and broad-spectrum sprays that…
- Bird cherry-oat aphid on Wheat, Barley · favoured by: Early sowing of autumn cereals into warm soils, mild autumns and winters, a 'green bridge' of volunteer…
- Cotton bollworm (Old World bollworm) on Chickpea, Tomato · favoured by: Warm, dry weather; a landscape with a succession of flowering hosts (for example maize, sorghum and chickpea…
- Fusarium head blight (head scab) of wheat and barley on Wheat, Barley · favoured by: Rain or prolonged humidity at flowering, wheat or barley following maize or another cereal, residues left on…
Tropical south
Central and western Brazil, southern and south-eastern Africa, Madagascar, northern Australia, Java and the Lesser Sunda islands · dry season
Sow and plant now
Growing: manage and protect
Nothing in the main calendar.
Harvest now
Get ready for November
Scout for
- Barnyard grass on Maize, Soybean, Sugarcane · favoured by: Direct-seeded rice (especially dry-seeded) with no standing water early on, poor land levelling, shallow or no…
- Black cutworm on Maize, Tobacco, Soybean · favoured by: Weedy fields before planting, reduced or no tillage with crop residues, low-lying fields that flooded earlier…
- Fall armyworm on Maize, Sugarcane, Wheat · favoured by: Warm weather with dry spells between rains favours outbreaks; heavy rain drowns young larvae in the whorl.…
- Maize streak disease (MSV) on Maize, Sugarcane, Wheat · favoured by: Late planting, overlapping and off-season maize, grassy field margins, drought spells that move leafhoppers…
- Sheath blight of rice on Maize, Soybean, Sugarcane · favoured by: High nitrogen, dense planting, high-tillering varieties, warm humid weather, continuous rice cropping and…
- African armyworm on Maize, Wheat · favoured by: The first heavy rains after a dry period, when fresh grass growth and moth concentration by storm winds…
- Bird cherry-oat aphid on Wheat, Maize · favoured by: Early sowing of autumn cereals into warm soils, mild autumns and winters, a 'green bridge' of volunteer…
- Charcoal rot (dry root rot) on Soybean, Maize · favoured by: Hot, dry weather and drought stress during flowering and grain or pod filling, sandy soils with low…