Crops
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 3: Soil Testing
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 3: Soil Testing This is the third episode of four for The Tillage Edge’s special soil series and this week, Dr Karen Daly, a soil scientist from Teagasc, joins Michael Hennessy to chat about the types of soil test used to measure critical nutrients and the tests […]
19 January 2023
Tips to reduce risk in what’s set to be a testing year for tillage farmers
Tips to reduce risk in what’s set to be a testing year for tillage farmers The recent Teagasc Outlook Webinar 2023 makes for some interesting reading from a tillage farm point of view. While the average incomes achieved on tillage farms were good in 2022, the outlook for harvest 2023 is a […]
19 January 2023
Wild potato genes: the future of late blight control
Wild potato genes: the future of late blight control Researchers are studying the genes of wild potato species in the hopes of finding a novel approach to mitigating crop losses caused by the persistent late blight disease. The destructive potential of the late blight crop disease pathogen Phytophthora infestans impacted and shaped […]
16 January 2023
Spring sown winter wheat
Spring sown winter wheat The Teagasc harvest report published in November 2022 predicted that approximately 55,000 ha which indicates that there is possibly some winter wheat seed still in bags on farms. While there were some limited opportunities to drill in late November most of this seed is likely to be still […]
12 January 2023
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 2: Soil Nutrients
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 2: Soil Nutrients The second part of The Tillage Edge’s special soil series sees Professor Mike McLaughlin continue his in-depth look at soil and its functionality with nutrients. Prof. McLaughlin discusses potash and how it can interact with soils and plants, and he also talks about nutrient […]
12 January 2023
Teagasc Tillage Conference to focus on future challenges
Teagasc Tillage Conference to focus on future challenges This year’s Teagasc National Tillage Conference is set against the background of 2022 being one of the better seasons in recent memory, with excellent harvest conditions and historically high grain prices making 2022 a profitable season for tillage farmers in spite of elevated costs. […]
11 January 2023
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 1: Soil Make-Up & Chemistry
0 The Fundamentals of Soils Part 1: Soil Make-Up & Chemistry Soils are the most important resource the human race has. Without a productive soil there wouldn’t be any farming or food production. Understanding the core functionality of soil is fundamental to a management strategy for a long term productive soil. Over the […]
5 January 2023
In order to forward sell grain, we must know our costs
In order to forward sell grain, we must know our costs Tillage farmers are heading into the 2023 season with some trepidation. Input costs have increased to unprecedented levels and positive crop margins can only be sustained by a continuation of current high grain prices and high yields. Often an elusive combination. […]
31 December 2022
Conserving Local Farming History in East Cork
Conserving Local Farming History in East Cork Tillage farmer Brenda Scanlan from Co. Cork approached me earlier this year enquiring if there was any aid available to help people repair and protect old farm buildings from inevitable decay. Some roof slates on one particular building on the farm had been lost or […]
30 December 2022
Bring your paperwork up to date
Bring your paperwork up to date The level of field work which can be undertaken at this time of the year is minimal and will remain so for the next couple of months. You may be thinking about the mountain of paperwork which is waiting for you in the office but you […]
29 December 2022