Tillage Newsletter - June 2022

In the June Tillage newsletter get the latest advice on: Spring barley - Disease control; Winter wheat - Disease control; Spring oats; Beans; Spring wheat - PGR and disease control; New nitrates rules for harvest 2022 and Health & Safety - Keeping children safe on the farm

View Tillage Newsletter - June 2022 (PDF)

In this month's edition:

• Spring barley - Disease control
  Late season disease control in spring barley is designed to control diseases such as rhynchosporium, net blotch and ramularia. Mildew has not been much of an issue in recent years. The risk of infection of rhynchosporium or net blotch will largely be determined by the disease rating of each individual variety; however, in the case of ramularia, it is normally caused by stress in the crop.
• Winter wheat - Disease control
  Septoria is very visible in most crops, however, the levels are relatively low in most crops where leaf 3 and flag leaf fungicide applications were applied on time. Yellow rust has not been a problem this year except in the few crops of Bennington that are still being grown.
• Spring oats
  Crops are moving through the growth stages quite quickly, so visit them regularly, otherwise key timings could be missed. Growth regulation should be used between the second and third nodes (GS32/33).
• Beans
  Foliar diseases such as chocolate spot, downy mildew and rusts must be controlled to keep the foliage for as long as possible. All diseases develop quickly in warm humid conditions. 
• Spring wheat - PGR and disease control
  Apply CCC between GS30 and GS31 for maximum effect. Rate is dependent on risk of lodging, but will generally be around CCC 75% at 1.0L/ha. Check product labels for total dose of CCC and/or consider Medax Max or Moddus to GS32 or Terpal at GS37-39.
• New nitrates rules for harvest 2022
  The new Nitrates Directive (SI 113 of 2022) was published in March of this year. The directive is focused on protecting water across the country and there has been a number of changes to all sections of agriculture from previous versions. While there have been no changes to the fertiliser amounts allowed on tillage crops, there are two changes that will impact on tillage farmers.
• Health & Safety - Keeping children safe on the farm
  The health and safety of children is paramount on farms, especially during the busy summer months. In recent years, there has been an increase in children dying on farms. What can be done? Firstly, a farm childhood safety code of practice is available on the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) website, giving authoritative guidance. The Teagasc Jessy’s Smart Kids newsletter series for children can be downloaded from the Teagasc website.