Ballymaloe Farm Update with Signpost Tillage Farmer Darren Allen
On a recent visit to Ballymaloe Farm near Shanagarry in East Cork, John Mahon, Teagasc Signpost Tillage Advisor caught up with Darren Allen who updated him on progress to date through what has proven to be quite a difficult spring campaign.
Winter Crops
We first began our discussion regarding differences which are beginning to show from the establishment systems employed to sow the winter crops back in October 2022. During our walk Darren was able to point out crop growth differences, backed up by recent drone footage, which highlighted where winter wheat was visibly poorer in an area where ploughing had come to a halt one day following heavy rainfall. Even when sown in what appeared to be ideal conditions a few days later, the damage below the ground he feels is holding the crop back and he expects this wheat to yield lower on that part of the field. In a second winter wheat crop which was marginal for ploughing at the time, he disc cultivated ahead of the one-pass on one side which in hindsight has proven to be the wrong decision as he feels it only made the situation worse and the headlands particularly have suffered due to the extra traffic. These, he says, are all learning curves, but highlights how getting it right at establishment is key to having healthy crops at this time of the year.
Strip-till Establishment
On a positive note he has been trialling strip-till establishment with a local contractor, both with some of his winter cereals and again with spring beans sown at the end of February. These crops looked very well, with even establishment, good rooting structure, and seemed to be taking full value of the high soil fertility which we wrote about in last Novembers issue. He feels certain that this is a direction he needs to further explore when establishing his crops, while acknowledging that there are issues like grass weeds which he will have to be more vigilant of, particularly sterile brome which can be prevalent on his medium to heavy clay soils. However a combination of well-timed cultural control methods and pre-emergence herbicide can be employed to minimise the problem.
Winter Wheat
We continued on to a trial which is being conducted as part of the Signpost programme with the help of Darren’s Dairygold agronomist Liam. The entire field of approximately 17 hectares has been sown to Graham winter wheat. It has received an in-crop application of pig slurry at 2,400 gals/acre at the beginning of March. Three establishment systems: plough & one-pass, min-till and strip-till are being compared using convention chemical nitrogen top-up in the form of protected urea, while a second trial is on-going on a section of strip-till where conventional chemical nitrogen is being compared to commercially available alternative nitrogen fertiliser sources which offer savings in nitrogen use rate, which would be of major benefit on this farm. Visual differences were apparent between the different treatments at this stage, but this trial will be brought to harvest so we wait with anticipation to see and report on the various results found. However, we must remember this will be only one result, in one field, in one year, but will give a fair indication of the value of the newer alternatives potential from a cost saving and environmental benefit point of view.
Spraying
Elsewhere on the farm all work is up to date with crops looking good. Winter wheat T2 fungicides are applied and working, winter oilseed rape received the fungicide Filan at 10% petal fall for sclerotinia control due to the wet weather at that time, the spring beans have received their first of two fungicide applications for chocolate spot and downy mildew control, and Darren is learning as he goes with winter rye as it is the first year he grew this crop. The rye has had an outbreak of brown rust which thankfully has being controlled by Liam, but Darren believes this crop has potential to reduce his pesticide use and spend going forward and may have a place in future rotational plans on the farm. Elsewhere, the spring barley sown on the 15th April has emerged and already is showing signs of BYDV infection, which hopefully will not develop too much, despite being sprayed with an aphicide.
Darren’s mind is now starting to focus on the harvest preparations he says and also reminded me that he and all tillage farmers should take a break before they face into the busy time ahead.