A year ago, many farmers faced significant challenges due to the unusually wet weather, which disrupted their crop rotations. For this week’s Tillage Edge, John Pettit, a Teagasc tillage advisor from South Wexford, shares his insights into how farmers are adapting their crop rotations to suit both their land and the local markets. John explains that there may be more than one rotation on a farm to account for variations in soil, whether lighter or heavier. He also emphasises the importance of calculating financial margins on the farm to make more informed decisions. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Winter oilseed rape has grown strongly over the past month but these conditions are also good for foliar disease development. Dr Stephen Kildea joins the Tillage Edge this week to talk about disease levels in oilseed rape and if control is necessary. He encourages all growers to walk their fields to look for Phoma and Light Leaf Spot (LLS) and recommends if LLS is not visible, to take some leaf samples, put in a bag, leave in a warm environment and assess after a couple of days. If no disease is present then there is probably no need to apply a fungicide. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Organic farming is gaining attention as a viable option for tillage farmers, especially with the demand for organic feed in livestock production on the rise. Martin Burke, an organic specialist from Teagasc, joins the Tillage Edge podcast to discuss how the recently opened Organic Scheme could offer new opportunities for farmers looking to diversify and improve sustainability. With profitability challenges in conventional tillage farming, Martin says the organic scheme is ideally suited to tillage farming where part of the farm can be converted to organic and continue to farm the remaining area as conventional. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Over recent weeks, most farmers have had the opportunity to plant winter crops, with many crops well emerged. Ciaran Collins, a tillage specialist, and Vijaya Bhaskar, a weed researcher from Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge podcast this week to discuss the best options for effective pre and post emergence weed control in winter cereals. Ciaran emphasises that controlling grass weeds through pre-emergence or early post-emergence is essential for effective management. Vijaya provides an update on ALS herbicide-resistant annual meadow grass detected across the country, noting that pre-emergence herbicides are effective on these resistant populations. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
With many crops just starting to emerge, it's time to think about protecting them from BYDV, or Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Dr. Louise McNamara, an entomologist from Teagasc, joins this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the best strategies for controlling BYDV in winter cereals. Louise emphasises that monitoring for aphids is key to any Integrated Pest Management approach. However, due to the challenges of correctly identifying aphids and determining whether they carry the virus, the recommended timings for aphid control this year remain similar to previous years. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
With harvest complete, farmers now have a clear understanding of the grain they have available for sale. While many have already sold their grain in forward market positions, others are considering deferring sales for several weeks or months. James Nolan, a grain trader at Barnett-Hall, is on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the current market outlook and what farmers should expect as we move forwards. James highlights the challenges of drought in Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as adverse weather conditions in South America. However, the underlying factor of abundant maize supplies is likely to keep pressure on the market. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
The Department of Agriculture now has a full view of all nutrients imported onto tillage farms and this week on the Tillage Edge, Pat Murphy, Head of Environmental Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, goes through what this means for farmers. Pat explains that all chemical fertilisers bought and organic manures imported onto a farm are reported to the Department of Agriculture and the combined figures can be used as part of an inspection on the farm. Pat also encourages all farmers to declare any chemical fertilisers which are unused as closing stocks to the Department through the Agfood system as soon as possible. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Weed control in winter cereals is essential to protect yields and to prevent weed seed return and on this week’s Tillage Edge, Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialists at Teagasc, chat through the reasons to prioritise pre-emerge herbicide applications in winter wheat and winter barley. Shay says there is some flexibility in the pre-emerge application timing, however there is very little flexibility in the rates and he recommends using high rates to achieve season-long persistency. The Teagasc Crop Report can be downloaded here from the Google and Apple app stores:Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ie.teagasccropreport.app&pli=1 Apple: https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/teagasc-crop-report/id1612644393 For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
As planting season begins, the choice of crop varieties will shape the management practices for the year ahead. Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, Tillage Specialists at Teagasc, are on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the key factors in selecting varieties and why certain ones may be more suitable. Ciaran advises that for larger acreages, a mix of varieties is crucial. He suggests starting with a BYDV-tolerant variety and then planting a combination of two-row and six-row varieties. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
This week on The Tillage Edge podcast, we’re circling back to the National Tillage Conference from earlier this year and focusing on the trade-offs of establishment systems with Jack Jameson, as well as the growing problem of weeds, particularly poppies, with Charlotte Morgan. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Correctly structured healthy soils will deliver better returns for farmers and on this week’s Tillage Edge, Dr Veronica Nyhan, a soil and plant nutrition specialist in Teagasc, joins the podcast to discuss why it is necessary to carry out regular soil assessments and how the results can be used to correct any deficits. Veronica explains that a test dig can take about 20 minutes to complete and can reveal a wealth of information. The assessment itself is designed to be carried out by farmers with excellent instruction available both on video and using the Teagasc Soil Structure ABC guide at: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/environment/soil/The-soil-structure-ABC.-A-practical-guide-to-managing-soil-structure.pdf For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
There is a good proportion of the harvest completed and this week on The Tillage Edge podcast, Teagasc Tillage Advisors, Ciara O’Donovan, Conor O’Callaghan and John Pettit report on the yields in their areas to date with all three reporting good yields from spring barley along with reasonable straw yields. There was agreement that winter cereal and winter oilseed rape yields were generally disappointing, with winter wheat, which looked to have potential, giving a poor yield. All of the advisors put the low averages down to thinner crops with bare patches due to the poor weather all year. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Tim Bergin, a Dublin man farming in Poland, and Andy Mahon, a Dubliner who manages a farm in the UK, join the Tillage Edge this week to chat about their respective harvests with contrasting reports of a very difficult year in the UK and a year full of promise from Poland. In Poland, Tim explains that yields were reasonably good and harvest was straightforward to complete with all grain saved at low moistures. However, in the UK, Andy reports a very difficult year with yields back by about 15-20% across the board. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Cover crops have many benefits for a farmer and also for the wider landscape and this week, Dr Richie Hackett, Teagasc Crops Researcher in Oak Park, joins the Tillage Edge podcast to delve into the benefits and pitfalls when growing cover crops. Richie cautions farmers about using the same cover crop mixes in rotation with similar plant species and recommends a relatively safe cover crop mix that most farmers can use. Richie also explains that an early sown cover crop can produce 4t dry matter, utilising up to 80kg/ha N and sequestering 1.2t of carbon. However he says that predicting when or how much of the captured nitrogen would be available to the next crops is difficult to estimate. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
The ideal time to plant oilseed rape is in the next couple of weeks and so Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialists in Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge this week to chat about the variety choice and best practice for good establishment. Oilseed rape comes with a lot of in-built genetic technology which Shay says will help to achieve high yields but he cautions that growers should carefully choose the correct variety for their area with disease resistance and pod shatter resistance being very important. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
The Teagasc crops research farm in Oak Park, Carlow, is in the middle of the harvest and Brendan Burke, the farm manager, joins the Tillage Edge this week to chat about the highs and lows of the harvest so far. Brendan explains that the winter barley and winter oats yields have been reasonable so far. The farm also sells straw to regular customers but there was little interest in oaten straw and this was chopped as part of the Straw Incorporation Scheme. Cover crops are used extensively across the farms with the go to mix of phacelia and vetch. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Tillage farming has reasonably good environmental credentials but there is always room for improvement and Noel Meehan, ASSAP Manager, joins us on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to talk about the funding which is available to tillage farmers as part of the Water EIP project. Noel says the project is targeting specific areas around the country, and where farmers are eligible, there are measures flexible from year to year. Noel also outlines the payments for cover crops which includes options for summer and winter cover crops. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Farmers, James O’Reilly, from Kilkenny, and James Hegarty, from Cork, join this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to chat about the harvest so far. James O’Reilly says that winter barley yields were mixed and the average is likely to be lower than other years, while James Hegarty admits his yields are also mixed but he is happy with grain quality. Both farmers expressed their frustration over the withdrawal and subsequent re-instatement of the straw chopping scheme. They expressed their anger not only over the scheme and treatment of the tillage sector, but also voiced concerns about the straw incorporation scheme for next year. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Not all crop varieties which could be available to Irish farmers are suitable to be grown in Ireland and on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Tim O'Donovan, Technical Director at Seedtech, chats through the varieties which are available and why these are suitable to Irish conditions. Tim explains the value of trialling these varieties in Irish conditions, as years like 2024 weeds out varieties which are just not suitable to our wetter conditions. He also highlights some of the new genetics which are available in oilseed rape and winter barley this year. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com
Organic tillage farming may seem out of reach to most conventional tillage farmers, however Gavin Tully, an organic tillage farmer in Wexford, is on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to explain how he has successfully negotiated some of the problems associated with the organic system. Gavin explains that he is a fan of cereal and protein mixes as it results in a well-balanced concentrate for his customers. He also uses multiple ways to control annual weeds in crops to varying degrees of success. But in the end he says establishing a good crop stand is the most helpful. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com