National Tillage Conference 2025
Wednesday, 29 January | 9am - 4:30pm
Lyrath Conference Centre, Paulstown Road, Kilkenny.
The annual National Tillage Conference took place on Wednesday, 29 January in the Lyrath Conference Centre, Paulstown Road, Kilkenny. The conference was an in-person event in a new interactive format, providing updates and outputs from the latest research at Oak Park.
Conference Presentations
Click on the links below to view the presentations
Session One: Supporting Sustainable Crop Production: Carbon, Nitrogen and Crop Establishment Elements
- How much carbon does tillage soil have and measures to enhance
Dr. Guilia Bondi, Teagasc - Crop establishment systems at Knockbeg past and future role for sustainable production
Dermot Forristal, Teagasc - Update on cover cropping in the Agricultural Catchments Programme and impact of Farming for Water EIP measure
Dr. Bridget Lynch, Teagasc - Panel Discussion
Session Two: Research Snapshots - Supporting added-value opportunities
- Intercropping pea and beans to support pea production – lessons learnt from 2024 trials
Dr. Sheila Alves, Teagasc - Novel food applications for peas and beans bread and beyond
Dr. Eimear Gallagher, Teagasc - Decreasing mycotoxin load in food grade oats
Diana Bucur, Teagasc - Panel Discussion
Session Three: Gauging the potential impacts of pesticide use reduction on crop production
- What does the global literature tell us on the impact of pesticide reduction
Meghan England, Teagasc - What do the experts think the impact of pesticide reduction in Ireland will be
Robert McDougall, Teagasc - The Pesticide Regulatory Prospective
AnneMarie Dillon, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) - Panel Discussion
Session Four: Interactive Workshops
All workshops were repeated 3 times during the afternoon. Click on the links below to find out more about each workshop.
- Workshop One – On-farm field evaluations to support production
- Workshop Two – Weed Clinic
- Workshop Three – Environmental credentials of tillage sector and role of AgNav
- Workshop Four – Disease control decisions for 2025… and beyond
Workshop One - On farm field evaluations to support production
This workshop will build on theme of IPM in morning session and the challenges and opportunities of testing new practises/products on-farm. If you plan to carry out trials, this workshop will provide guidance on approaches that will support strong conclusions by season’s end. Our aim is that you will leave this workshop understanding:
- What drives variability in trials and how to ensure the best ‘response’ from the treatments you test
- How to answer questions with a simple trial design that builds up evidence to support your conclusions
This workshop will give an update of grass-weed resistance within the tillage sector and offer an opportunity to discuss current on-farm weed challenges. Our aim is that you will leave this workshop understanding:
- How to identify problem weeds
- What actions can be taken on your farm to control grassweeds in your rotation
Workshop Three – Environmental credentials of tillage sector and role of AgNav
This workshop will highlight the environmental strengths of the tillage sector and discuss how this will play an ever increasing role in the sustainability of the sector going forward. Our aim is that this workshop will provide an opportunity to understand:
- How AgNav can benefit your farm system going forward
- The importance of cover cropping and other practises to further enhance sustainability metrics
Workshop Four - Disease control decisions for 2025 and beyond
This workshop will discuss the measures needed to manage disease in wheat and barley this season. Our aim is that you will leave this workshop understanding:
- The key timings for each crop and why they may differ
- How to build a fungicide programme to ensure broad spectrum disease control