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Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Signpost: All we need is a bit of rain for the crops
We are after a great spring in comparison to last year. The weather gave us ample opportunities for cultivating, setting and spraying. As a result, crops are looking extremely well. We did run into a small bit of trouble with one field of spring barley that got heavily infected with leather jackets. With all chemical control options now gone due to the increasing loss of chemistry in the EU, our only option was to give that field a roll with a flat roller, which thankfully stopped any further loss of plants. All we need now is a bit of rain to keep things moving on. Crops are generally looking very well, and I am very happy with them. All crops have received herbicide for weed control. The barley received Zypar at 1L/ha. As I write, fungicides are the next big task. The spring barley is due its T1 within the coming days. I intend to apply Comet 200 at 0.5L/ha plus Xynteo at 0.8L/ha. The winter wheat will be receiving its T2 flag leaf spray. We must switch chemistry to avoid resistance build-up so it will be sprayed with Revystar XL at 1.5L/ha plus Arizona at 1.5L/ha. Thankfully, I haven't seen yellow rust at this stage, which seems to be very prevalent in some varieties this year around the country, for whatever reason. This will be followed by the final head spray on the winter oats, which will be Elatus Era at 0.8L/ha. The peas and beans are due to get 0.6L/ha of Signum. We have also taken the opportunity to plant our wild bird cover for the environmental scheme in great conditions, so now all we await is rainfall for its germination. The other day, along with my Teagasc adviser and in preparation for a joint Signpost/Dairygold farm walk we are hosting in June, we carried out a procedure for the national 'GroundTruth' project aimed at checking our soil health. It is called "the underwear degradation test" but most will call it the "underpants test". All you need to do is dig a hole to three inches deep, place a pair of cotton underpants into it and refill the hole. Leave them there for a certain number of weeks before digging them back up. The cotton is a source of food and carbon which will be eaten by bugs and microbes if they are present in the soil. This won't give you a scientific result, but it will give you an indication of whether the decisions you are making are helping your soil or not. We have buried two underpants, one in a field that is under a plough-based establishment system and the second in a min till system to see if we notice any differences. The Teagasc/Dairygold Signpost Tillage Evening will take place on Wednesday the June 18, starting at 6:30pm. The theme of the event is 'Managing Soils to grow Profit'. Topics on the evening will include soil health, crop establishment systems, crop nutrient, along with intercropping legumes and water quality. All are welcome and we look forward to welcoming you to Ballymaloe for what promises to be a very informative and enjoyable evening. Darren Allen is a Signpost tillage farmer based at Ballymaloe Farm, Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co Cork.
Agriland
25-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Foliar nitrogen has future role as fertiliser of choice
Foliar nitrogen is now increasingly recognised as an inherently precise fertiliser source for tillage crops, according to Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan. This was one of the points discussed at a spring crops' walk hosted by Teagasc on the Co. Louth farm of the McGuinness family. Phelan specifically pointed to the future role for foliar nitrogen against a backdrop of reduced availability where the use of products, such as urea, is concerned. Turning to winter barley, the Teagasc agronomist confirmed that crops are at a wide range of growth stages around the country at the present time. Looking ahead he has advised keeping ramularia in check is the key management priority. Phelan said: 'The disease works its way up from the bottom of the crop. Repeated Teagsc trials have confirmed the importance of using a suitable fungicide on winter barley at the awns peopling stage: growth stages 45-49.' 'Unlike wheat, where the priority is to keep the crop canopy clean, winter barley crops have already built up their full yield potential at this stage. 'The challenge facing growers is that of maximising all of this capacity through to final harvest. Ramularia is a genuine yield robber if it becomes established within a barley crop.' The tillage specialist went on to outline the potential damage ramularia could cause. 'Yield losses of up to 0.4t/has can result if the disease is allowed to get established. The cost of the fungicides required to deal with this issue will be more than accounted for by the yield increased secured. 'The application of the correct fungicide mix at the appropriate time to deal with ramularia will bring the crop through to final harvest, where disease control measures are concerned.' A crop of hybrid barley sown out on the McGuinness farm at the beginning of October 2024 Teagasc trials have confirmed the relative effectiveness of Revystar XL and Macfare XPro in keeping ramularia at bay. Meanwhile, the relative dry winter and early spring has served to keep diseases, such as rhynchosporium, at bay within barley crops. However, the recent rains have served to enhance the disease threat confronting all cereal crops, in every sense, at the present time. The tillage specialist confirmed that a two-spray fungicide programme will suffice where the management of most winter barley crops is concerned. According to Phelan, a plant growth promoter can be applied to winter barley crops between growth stages 32-39. Growers should note that straw from crops treated with Terpal cannot be used for mushroom production.
