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Crops and Cover Crop Cultivations Open Day

Wednesday, 21st June | 10am to 5pm

Teagasc Oak Park, Carlow

The Crops Open Day which is held every two years, brings the Oak Park Crop Research Programme to the public, supported by Researchers, PhD students and Advisors.  We are again adopting ‘the event within an event’ style which incorporates a mechanisation related theme, in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Journal, which this year deals with stubble cultivation and crop establishment.

This year we have four elements delivered across five demo areas:

  1. Oak Park research programme.
    • Presented over all five demo areas.
    • Includes all elements of the programme
    • Cover crops, IPM, and adding value to crops are key 2023 features
  2. Stubble cultivation and Cover crop establishment machinery demo (with IFJ)
    • Working demos of 8 categories of implements
    • Live commentary
    • Commercial stands relating to demos
  3. Mechanical weed control in Horticultural crops (with IFJ)
    • Working demo of mechanical weeding systems including camera guided and autonomous systems
    • Live commentary
  4. Support stands
    • Agricultural Catchments Programme
    • Signpost Programme
    • Health and Safety

view from above of the Crops Open Day 2018

Demo details

The exhibits are presented in five demo areas and outlined in the map. A team of tractor and transporter units will carry people between the demos. The content to be seen at each demo includes:

Demo area 1  

  • Controlling Insect pests and virus transmission in an era when insecticide resistance threatens traditional control practice.
  • Aphid surveillance, rapid diagnostics including BYDV.
  • IPM control strategies

Demo area 2

  • Value added crop opportunities across all crop types
  • Protein crop: food-chain opportunities
  • Malting / distilling hub industry support and research capacity
  • Legume agronomy, intercropping, varietal developments
  • Spring barley disease control and management

Demo area 3

  • Oat agronomy updates: development of Growers Guide.
  • Healthy Oats
  • Mycotoxins
  • Oat varietal evaluation including heritage lines 

Demo area 4

  • Stubble cultivation and Cover crop establishment working demonstration (12pm, 1:30 pm, 3:30pm) with Teagasc and IFJ commentary.
  • Mechanical weeding of horticultural crops including camera guided and autonomous weeding systems working demonsration (9am, 2:30pm) with Teagasc and IFJ commentary
  • Cover crop management
  • Teagasc research/dissemination stands on:
    • Crop establishment /cultivations
    • Grass weeds
    • Oilseed rape
    • Potato breeding
    • Health and Safety
    • Climate Centre
    • Agricultural Catchments Programme
    • Signpost Programme
    • Irish Farmers Journal stand
  • Catering
  • Commercial exhibitors related to the working demonstration.

Demo Area 5

  • IPM fungal disease control approaches in cereals
  • Disease control in winter wheat

Stubble Cultivations and Cover Crop Establishment Demo details

Demo times: 12pm, 1:30pm & 3:30pm

  • 8 machine categories to be demonstrated working on barley stubble
    • Tine stubble cultivator
    • Disc stubble cultivator
    • Tine and Disc stubble cultivator
    • Straw rake / comb for seed chit
    • Roller
    • Min-till drill
    • Strip-till drill
    • Direct drill
  • Commentary/discussion on techniques and machines led by Dermot Forristal, Teagasc and Siobhán Walsh, Irish Farmers Journal, with support from Peter Thomas Keaveney and Gary Abbott, Irish Farmers Journal.

Mechanical Weed Control Demonstration in Field Vegetables

Demo times: 9am & 2:30pm

  • 12 machines to be demonstrated on brassica crops with more on static stands
    • In-row, camera guided hoes
    • Tine weeders
    • Camera guided, inter-plant cultivators
    • Finger Weeders
    • Autonomous sowing and weeding technology
    • Walk behind hoeing tools
    • Flame weeders
  • Specialised manufacturers demonstrating at the event include Steketee, Farm Droid, Garford, Treffler, EFM, Einbock, Hauf, Terrateck, Ferrari and more!
  • Commentary/discussion on techniques and machines led by Andy Whelton & Eoin Sweetman, Teagasc and Stephen Robb, Irish Farmers Journal.

Open Day Map

map showing the route for the open day