Séamus Duggan,
Durrow,
Co Laois
Séamus Duggan is hoping to plant some winter barley early next week. He hasn’t started any field work yet and will plough ahead of the drill. He has cut back on winter barley area by 50%.
He moved away from growing winter barley many years ago and said after increasing area in the last few years, he is cutting back again as he is not getting a yield high enough to account for the input spend.
However, it does help to break up the workload on-farm and so he will plant some winter malting barley. The variety is Electrum and he is trying to source some Faye.
Séamus said he is on kind, free-draining land and will plant later on in the season as long as conditions are good. This should help to prevent virus and disease pressure.
Beet
This week, he is doing some fencing and plans to pull some beet next week as he has had some enquiries about it. So far, he has heard some growers talk about exceptional yields from the crop.
He will bring in more cattle soon and will need some beet for himself. Some of the animals in the field are getting the peas and barley mix, which was grown on the farm this season.
When they come in, they will get beet, grass silage and straw along with this feed.
Séamus grew 6ac of the peas and barley mix this year and might increase the area to 10-12ac next year as he got on well with the crop. It did not receive any sprays and was produced at a low cost.
He plans on growing some maize next season as well, as he has some Wagyu cattle which will do better on maize silage, compared to beet.
His catch crops look well at present.
Patrick Kehoe,
Bunclody,
Co Wexford
Patrick Kehoe is making the most of organic manure on the farm.
Patrick has been holding off on planting his winter barley to try and reduce the risk of virus and disease in the crop. He has the plough ready to go.
Last week, he drew chicken manure to the farm to apply to winter barley fields. He might apply this at the end of this week. He also had some cattle slurry to spread.
Slurry
The closed period for slurry spreading was a week earlier this year and Patrick commented that if the date was not so early, he could have spread his slurry and planted a crop in the days after to maximise the use of that slurry for the winter barley crop.
However, implementing good practice crop planting should be delayed as much as possible into October to reduce the risk of grass weeds, crop disease and viruses, so the new nitrates rules are making it difficult to implement this practice without reducing the impact of slurry on the crop.
Winter barley
Patrick has less winter barley for the season ahead, as he has a roasting barley contract and he plans to increase the area of beans. Patrick has chosen to sow KWS Joyau winter barley.
He grew this variety last year and got on well with it. It claims to be tolerant to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). Patrick will try to plant the winter barley some time next week, if weather allows.
Some of the winter barley will be planted after beans as well, so Patrick is maximising the nutrients available to him on farm and through the use of organic manures.
Cover crops
The cover crops are looking well and Patrick commented that the crop after the chopped winter barley straw is looking particularly good.
It got an early start and drove on with the rain.
Patrick has good grass at the minute for the ewes, so the catch crops planted outside of GLAS will not be needed for a while.
Michael Grant, Newtowncunningham,
Co Donegal
Michael plans to sow winter wheat in the coming weeks after grass.
Michael Grant was spraying off land for winter cereals early this week. It has been very wet in Co Donegal for the past two weeks and it was the first opportunity for field work.
When the weather allows, he will aim to plant winter barley and winter wheat. A week without rain is needed to get work done.
Hedgerows were cut before the heavy rain and the machinery is ready to go. Michael will plough ahead of the one-pass, as it is heavy land that will be hard to work if it gets wet ahead of the drill.
Barley
Michael has chosen a hybrid barley, Belfry, to sow and Graham winter wheat. He has some grass to plough for the winter wheat, so he hopes to get this crop in in good conditions.
The land has the potential to save on inputs and will also be eligible for the Tillage Incentive Scheme. Fields entering tillage from grass are eligible for a payment of €400/ha.
Weeds
It is unlikely a pre-emergence herbicide will be applied to the crop. Herbicide will be applied in the springtime, as tracks left in the crop from the sprayer are likely to hold water over the winter.
However, the later planting date will help to reduce grass weeds risk, as well as the risk of disease and virus.
Michael only finished up harvesting on 29 September. He cut some oats for a customer. The grain drier was busy until the end of September as well, but is closed down now and his grain is in the shed.
Lambs
There is plenty of other work to do on the farm as well. Lambs are being brought in this week and will be finished for the factory in the coming weeks, while cattle will come in in a few weeks as well.
Séamus Duggan,
Durrow,
Co Laois
Séamus Duggan is hoping to plant some winter barley early next week. He hasn’t started any field work yet and will plough ahead of the drill. He has cut back on winter barley area by 50%.
He moved away from growing winter barley many years ago and said after increasing area in the last few years, he is cutting back again as he is not getting a yield high enough to account for the input spend.
However, it does help to break up the workload on-farm and so he will plant some winter malting barley. The variety is Electrum and he is trying to source some Faye.
Séamus said he is on kind, free-draining land and will plant later on in the season as long as conditions are good. This should help to prevent virus and disease pressure.
Beet
This week, he is doing some fencing and plans to pull some beet next week as he has had some enquiries about it. So far, he has heard some growers talk about exceptional yields from the crop.
He will bring in more cattle soon and will need some beet for himself. Some of the animals in the field are getting the peas and barley mix, which was grown on the farm this season.
When they come in, they will get beet, grass silage and straw along with this feed.
Séamus grew 6ac of the peas and barley mix this year and might increase the area to 10-12ac next year as he got on well with the crop. It did not receive any sprays and was produced at a low cost.
He plans on growing some maize next season as well, as he has some Wagyu cattle which will do better on maize silage, compared to beet.
His catch crops look well at present.
Patrick Kehoe,
Bunclody,
Co Wexford
Patrick Kehoe is making the most of organic manure on the farm.
Patrick has been holding off on planting his winter barley to try and reduce the risk of virus and disease in the crop. He has the plough ready to go.
Last week, he drew chicken manure to the farm to apply to winter barley fields. He might apply this at the end of this week. He also had some cattle slurry to spread.
Slurry
The closed period for slurry spreading was a week earlier this year and Patrick commented that if the date was not so early, he could have spread his slurry and planted a crop in the days after to maximise the use of that slurry for the winter barley crop.
However, implementing good practice crop planting should be delayed as much as possible into October to reduce the risk of grass weeds, crop disease and viruses, so the new nitrates rules are making it difficult to implement this practice without reducing the impact of slurry on the crop.
Winter barley
Patrick has less winter barley for the season ahead, as he has a roasting barley contract and he plans to increase the area of beans. Patrick has chosen to sow KWS Joyau winter barley.
He grew this variety last year and got on well with it. It claims to be tolerant to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). Patrick will try to plant the winter barley some time next week, if weather allows.
Some of the winter barley will be planted after beans as well, so Patrick is maximising the nutrients available to him on farm and through the use of organic manures.
Cover crops
The cover crops are looking well and Patrick commented that the crop after the chopped winter barley straw is looking particularly good.
It got an early start and drove on with the rain.
Patrick has good grass at the minute for the ewes, so the catch crops planted outside of GLAS will not be needed for a while.
Michael Grant, Newtowncunningham,
Co Donegal
Michael plans to sow winter wheat in the coming weeks after grass.
Michael Grant was spraying off land for winter cereals early this week. It has been very wet in Co Donegal for the past two weeks and it was the first opportunity for field work.
When the weather allows, he will aim to plant winter barley and winter wheat. A week without rain is needed to get work done.
Hedgerows were cut before the heavy rain and the machinery is ready to go. Michael will plough ahead of the one-pass, as it is heavy land that will be hard to work if it gets wet ahead of the drill.
Barley
Michael has chosen a hybrid barley, Belfry, to sow and Graham winter wheat. He has some grass to plough for the winter wheat, so he hopes to get this crop in in good conditions.
The land has the potential to save on inputs and will also be eligible for the Tillage Incentive Scheme. Fields entering tillage from grass are eligible for a payment of €400/ha.
Weeds
It is unlikely a pre-emergence herbicide will be applied to the crop. Herbicide will be applied in the springtime, as tracks left in the crop from the sprayer are likely to hold water over the winter.
However, the later planting date will help to reduce grass weeds risk, as well as the risk of disease and virus.
Michael only finished up harvesting on 29 September. He cut some oats for a customer. The grain drier was busy until the end of September as well, but is closed down now and his grain is in the shed.
Lambs
There is plenty of other work to do on the farm as well. Lambs are being brought in this week and will be finished for the factory in the coming weeks, while cattle will come in in a few weeks as well.
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