Crops
Drainage issues on tillage land – part 2
Drainage issues on tillage land – part 2 In the second of a two part series on drainage, Michael Hennessy continues his discussion with Pat Tuohy, a researcher in Teagasc dealing with soil hydrology and drainage, to talk about field drainage issues on tillage farms. Pat discusses how it is important to […]
30 November 2023
Double whammy of lower yields and prices hit cereals returns
Double whammy of lower yields and prices hit cereals returns The average tillage farm income is forecast to be approximately 60% lower in 2023 than in 2022, the recently published Outlook 2024, Economic Prospects for Agriculture report, which was prepared by the Teagasc Agricultural Economics and Farm Surveys Department, has revealed. Although […]
30 November 2023
Teagasc National Farm Survey 2022 – Cereals Enterprise
Teagasc National Farm Survey 2022 – Cereals Enterprise The 2022 National Farm Survey (NFS) recorded data on 795 farms. This article summarises the results for the major cereal enterprises (winter wheat and spring barley) on farms within the survey. In terms of representation for the following analysis, there were 87 farms with […]
26 November 2023
Check your seed rates
Check your seed rates Michael Hennessy, Teagasc Head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, tells us that many farmers are taking the opportunity to plant more cereals in the coming days, following the welcome break in the weather. However, he explains that seed rates need close attention to allow for poorer conditions. Farmers are […]
24 November 2023
The options for weed control in winter cereals over the coming weeks
The options for weed control in winter cereals over the coming weeks Very few of the emerged winter cereal crops have received a herbicide this autumn. Pre-emergence herbicides are generally the cornerstone of weed control in winter cereals, alternative options will be needed this year. Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, both Tillage […]
23 November 2023
Wet October hits autumn planting
Wet October hits autumn planting The area of winter-sown crops to be harvested in 2024 will decline significantly, a recent report published by the Teagasc crops team has indicated. Due to wet weather conditions this autumn – particularly in October – the Teagasc Harvest Report estimates that the area of cereals planted […]
21 November 2023
How weeds adapt to your system
How weeds adapt to your system John Cussans, Weed Biology and Management Specialist at the National Institute of Botany (NIAB) in the UK, discussed how weeds adapt to agricultural systems on various levels at the recent Teagasc Enable Conservation Tillage Grass Weed Conference. John’s discussion focused on the adaptation of weed populations […]
20 November 2023
Estimates point to a 20% decline in 2023 cereal harvest
Estimates point to a 20% decline in 2023 cereal harvest The Harvest Report published by Teagasc estimates that the production of cereals was 1.93 million tonnes in 2023. This represents a decrease of 492,500 tonnes (20%) from harvest 2022. All cereal crop yields were below the five-year average in this weather-disrupted season. […]
17 November 2023
Watch: Farmers share their experiences of controlling grass weeds
Watch: Farmers share their experiences of controlling grass weeds Farmers involved in the Enable Conservation Tillage (ECT) Project have shared their experiences of controlling grass weeds on their farms. A survey completed as part of the project has shown that grass weeds are an increasing problem in all tillage systems. However, both […]
17 November 2023
Potato harvesting difficulties persist
Potato harvesting difficulties persist Progress in terms of potato harvesting is still very slow, explains Teagasc Crops Specialist Shay Phelan, with the continuing poor weather conditions showing no sign of improvement. At the moment, there are estimates that approximately 20-30% of the maincrop remains to be harvested. However, this varies from region […]
16 November 2023