Planning for 2024 on tillage farms
Take the time to carefully plan your crops for 2024.
Crops
Spring barley area normally increases after a wet autumn; however, spring barley seed supply is tight this year.
Therefore it is important to carefully plan your crops and consider all options.
Crop rotation in arable land: At least 2 different crops must be sown at parcel level over a four-year cycle.
Spring sowing of winter wheat varieties
Teagasc and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) variety trials show that winter wheat varieties can be successfully sown up to mid February; however:
- vernalisation is not an issue for wheat sown up to mid February but harvest date will be later than spring wheat;
- yield will be closer to spring wheat – inputs need to be tailored based on expected yield, especially nitrogen (N);
- similar seed rate to spring wheat; and,
- do not sow in March.
Beans
Teagasc research shows there is no significant yield difference between establishment methods for beans, but direct drill methods offer savings over plough/one pass. Aim to establish 30 plants/m². Here are five tips to achieve a high yield.
- Choose a high fertility site with medium/heavy
- Plant early (February/March). April crops can be successful but risks are
- Ensure pH is >6.5.
- Test DAFM-certified seed ensures ascochyta levels are less than 1% and that seed is free from stem nematode.
- Use pre-emergence herbicides, as post- emergence options are very limited.
Prioritise premium crops
Malting barley, seed crops, and equine, gluten-free and food grade oats command a premium. Sowing of these should take precedence over feed crops.
Replanting autumn-sown crops
Replanting decisions should be delayed until growth starts. Where a crop has
completely failed the decision is simple, but if some plants survive, deciding is harder. Replanting is seldom cost effective. With
spring seed scarce, managing a thin crop with reduced inputs might be more viable.
Spring barley
Spring barley seed supply will be tight this year. Native seed will be supplemented with imported to make up the shortfall. Let your supplier know your requirements as soon as possible. Don’t skimp on seed rates.
Yield in barley is closely related to ear number so plan to establish 300 seeds/m². This means sowing 350 seeds/m² in good conditions or 180kg/ha (11.5st/ac) at 51g thousand grain weight (TGW).
Crop rotation in arable land
As part of conditionality farms with an arable area >10ha must implement a crop rotation. At least two different crops must be sown at parcel level over a four-year cycle. 2023 was year one, so at least two different crops are required within an arable parcel from 2023-2026. No derogation has been granted for crop diversification for 2024. Therefore farmers must comply with crop diversification (two/three-crop rule) in 2024.