Crops

Eoin Lyons in Kilkenny on his direct drill cropping system

Featuring on this week's Tillage Edge podcast is Eoin Lyons, Kilkenny, who uses a direct drill system to establish crops every year.
08 June 2023

Using pig slurry to reduce fertiliser costs and inputs

A range of environment initiatives made this pig business a logical choice as a Signpost farm, John Mahon, Mark Plunkett and Gerard McCutcheon tell us more.
08 June 2023

Save money and reduce GHG emissions switching from CAN to protected urea

Vincent Macken, Signpost Programme Tillage Farmer, has saved money by switching from CAN to protected urea, while also reducing his GHG emissions on the farm.
05 June 2023

Getting the most from your fungicide spend

Timing is all, but rate and product choice are also important, explain Teagasc Tillage Specialist Shay Phelan and Teagasc Tillage Advisor John Kelly.
04 June 2023

Importance of sulphur for grass and crop production

Sulphur and the soil's sulphur supply depend on soil type and soil organic matter levels.
02 June 2023

Tillage advice: Fungicide treatments and grass weeds

Early-drilled crops of spring barley are now at awns peeping stage, which is the ideal timing for the final fungicide. Shay Phelan, Teagasc Tillage Specialist, tells us more.
01 June 2023

Strip-till establishment with Michael Grace in Clane, Co. Kildare

For this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Michael Hennessy visited Michael Grace’s farm in Clane, Co. Kildare, to chat about the strip-till establishment system on the farm.
01 June 2023

Tillage and sheep farmer to host first Growing Organics farm walk

The first of the Growing Organics monitor farm programme walks takes place on Friday, June 2nd at 12pm on the farm of Jason Stanley, Errill, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
29 May 2023

Blackgrass raising its head

As winter cereals enter the finishing straight, there have been a few reports this week of blackgrass raising its head above the canopy. Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Crops Specialist, tells us more.
25 May 2023

Update from Don Somers’ farm in Wexford

The poor spring weather was a key topic on the latest Tillage Edge podcast, when Michael Hennessy chatted to both Don Somers, a farmer from Wexford, who is also participating in the Signpost Programme, and John Mahon, his Tillage Signpost Advisor.
25 May 2023

First 'Growing Organics' farm walk set for Laois

The first in a series of 'Growing Organics' farm walks takes place on the farm of Jason Stanley, Errill, Co. Laois, on the 2nd of June 2023. Marianne Mulhall, Specialised Organic Advisor, previews Jason's farming system and the upcoming open day in this article.
22 May 2023

Spring cereal weed control and preventing resistance on your farm

Weed control is as important as ever in spring cereals and Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, both Tillage specialists in Teagasc, along with Vijaya Bhaskar, a weed researcher in Teagasc, are on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to chat about the best strategies for weed control in spring cereals.
18 May 2023

Tillage advice: Challenging choices for some as growth kicks into gear

Michael Hennessy, Teagasc Head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, gives an update on crop performance and looks at some of the difficult decisions facing farmers who have planting outstanding.
18 May 2023

Spring barley update

Spring barley fits into three distinct sowing categories this year: early (February/early March); normal (early April); and, the largest category, late-sown crops (mid to late April).
17 May 2023

Nitrogen uptake by catch crops and catch crop uptake by farmers

Catch crops, also known as cover crops or green manure, are a valuable tool for protecting soil health and water quality, explains Dr. Bridget Lynch, Senior Researcher Officer in the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme.
11 May 2023

How to prepare for your BISS application consultation

With a substantial amount of BISS applications still to be submitted, there is growing pressure on all advisors to ensure farmer consultations are efficient so that all applications can be completed on time.
11 May 2023

Monitor spring crops for trace element deficiencies

Weather conditions over the past 10 days have really provided the ingredients for rapid spring crop growth.
11 May 2023

Late-sown cereal crops at high risk of BYDV in 2023

Late-planted spring crops are at a higher risk of BYDV (Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus) infection this year, as Dr. Louise McNamara, an entomologist in Teagasc Oak Park, explains on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast.
04 May 2023

Tillage advice: Fungicide options for winter barley and wheat

Teagasc Tillage Specialist Shay Phelan outlines options for fungicide treatments in winter barley and wheat, along with weed and disease control options in this article.
04 May 2023

Crops advice: Management tips for spring and winter barley and winter wheat

This week, Teagasc Tillage Specialist Ciaran Collins provides an update on spring barley, winter wheat and winter barley, including planting progress and fungicide treatments.
27 April 2023

Critical crop agronomy for late April and early May

Planting of spring crops continues at pace, but there is still a substantial amount of planting to be completed. This is especially the case in the north east of the country.
27 April 2023

Growing peas and beans in combination can reduce risk and increase yields

Teagasc researchers have found that growing peas and beans in combination can reduce risk and increase yields. Sheila Alves and Ewen Mullins tell us more.
24 April 2023

Maize or beet an option for tillage farms?

The establishment of many spring crops has been delayed by challenging weather conditions over recent weeks. And now that soil conditions have finally become workable, the spring planting options available to tillage farmers have become somewhat limited.
23 April 2023

Shaped by snow and ice

As part of the GenESIS project, Teagasc is using genomic and phenotypic data to understand the nature of adaption and evolution in the North American Sitka spruce tree. This knowledge can then be implemented through the GenESIS research when breeding new and improved trees in Ireland.
21 April 2023

Management of nitrogen in late-sown malting barley

Crops planted in mid-February or very early March have pushed through the growth stages and should be well positioned for management actions, such as wild oat control and fungicide application, explains Rebecca Bayley, Teagasc/Boortmalt Joint Programme Advisor.
20 April 2023

An update from Romania with Jim McCarthy

On this week's Tillage Edge podcast, Irishman Jim McCarthy, who manages a large tract of land in northern Romania, talks to Michael Hennessy about spring plantings, costs of inputs, machinery capacity and why many countries have banned imports of Ukrainian grain.
20 April 2023

Teagasc Signpost Advisory Programme open to participants

Most of the actions you are being asked to implement to reduce emissions will also reduce costs, improve animal performance and increase farm profitability. It’s a win-win for your farm.
20 April 2023

Global coordination of crop research required

The G20 Meeting of the Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) takes place in Varanasi, India from 17 -19 April. As a G20 initiative, the Wheat Initiative (WI) was invited to participate and present.
18 April 2023

Want to shave one-third off your nitrogen costs?

Urea will cost you 33% less than CAN with no reduction in grain yield. Ciaran Collins, Tillage specialist, Teagasc Crops Environment and Land Use Programme tells us more.
16 April 2023

Don’t delay! Fertilise silage swards today

Weather conditions over the last number of weeks have resulted in delayed applications of fertiliser to silage fields. In addition, livestock have been housed for longer than normal, eating into farm silage stocks.
14 April 2023