Shaun Diver, Tullamore Farm,
Co Offaly
Land is drying out in this settled spell in Offaly and it has reduced a lot of spring planting pressures at Tullamore Farm.
The feed spring barley was planted last Thursday in very dry conditions. After the land was ploughed, the dry weather gave Shaun the opportunity to land-level the ground and power-harrow it before the one-pass planted the Geraldine barley at 170kg/ha.
The extra cultivations will take some pressure off Shaun when he goes to reseed the field after harvest as the field should already be pretty level. He says that if there was time pressure because of looming rain, the soil was in decent condition anyway and the barley could have been planted straight in.
Shaun broadcast three bags/ac of 0-7-30 and one bag/ac of CAN before the crop was planted. The remaining nitrogen will be applied when the barley emerges. The very dry soil allowed the crop to be rolled post-planting with little to no risk of soil compaction.
The field destined for the combi-crop of barley, oats and peas is still being grazed, but once this is complete, the field will be sprayed off in preparation for ploughing and sowing. The field has a lot of docks in it and it was chosen for the combi-crop for this reason.
Shaun likes to choose a paddock with a lot of docks or a more general weed issue for the combi-crop, as it gives him the opportunity to spray the docks before ploughing, after harvest and before forage rape is planted, and maybe even a third time before the field is reseeded next year. This should help to bring any weed issues under control by the time the field is in grass again.
Shaun is now beginning to think about fertiliser for silage fields, but he will wait until the rain returns to ensure the fertiliser is washed in.
The barley on Tullamore Farm was set in bone-dry conditions.
Pa Shine, Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary
The recent dry weather, with over 100ml less rainfall in March compared to 2024, has allowed Pa to complete his spring drilling and get up to date with his winter cereals. The warmer weather in the past week has driven growth and the winter cereals are motoring through stem extension.
While the two-row winter barley was slow to get going, the hybrid barley is flying it. The nitrogen will be finished this week, bringing it to a total of 160 units/ac. CeCeCe 750 (1l/ha) was applied early with a wild oat herbicide, and this was followed by a second growth regulator of CeCeCe 750 (1l/ha) and Trinex (0.2/ha for hybrid barley, 0.15l/ha for two-row barley).
The T1 fungicide was applied last week, this consisted of Navura, Comet 200 and trace elements.
The winter wheat is coming on after being thin due to slug damage after oilseed rape. An early application of CeCeCe 750 has really helped the crop to tiller. A To will be applied this week, consisting of Medax Max, Thiopron, CeCeCe 750, and Comet 200.
The winter oats look well and have received two growth regulators and a fungicide. There was some mildew which Pa has taken care of. He kept back a herbicide application until the coming week, as the weeds were not fully emerged yet. The Husky gluten-free spring oats were first to be planted on 8 March on ley ground. It was planted at 180kg/ha. It received 500kg/ha of 10-10-20 at planting, and Pa will top-dress the crop this week.
LG Mermaid is the main spring barley variety grown by Pa for malting, with some Hurler for feed also on the farm. These were planted at 188kg/ha. The last of the barley was planted last Saturday, but the earliest crops are well up and will be top-dressed this week.
Pa is going to apply muriate of potash to most crops this week too. He says that potassium is very important, and most crops will not have enough from their compound fertiliser.
Pa Shine is busy top-dressing his crops this week.
Barty O’Connor, Clohamon, Co Wexford
With the spring planting finished, Barty is tipping along spreading fertiliser and spraying crops. He was reminded by another farmer that “the best thing barley can get after sowing is two dry weeks” and Barty feels that it certainly holds true this year.
The early-sown spring malting barley has emerged in excellent conditions. Plant counts were conducted and the crop has between 320 and 325 plants/m2, which is ideal. Barty’s farm received 5mm of rain last Thursday night, so the first split of nitrogen was spread beforehand, so that the fertiliser would wash in.
Barty will apply the final split before the rain arrives in the coming days. He usually applies all of the nitrogen at once, but he is splitting the application this year because of sowing date, weather and crop factors. Barty usually brings spring malting barley to 110 units/ac, but he is pushing it to 122 units/ac this year. This is because of uncertainty around the demand for distilling barley, the early sowing date and trying to push the yield of the crop.
The later-sown barley is just peeping above ground and will receive its first split of nitrogen this week. The spring oats look well and have been brought up to 100 units/ac.
The winter barley has received the last of its nitrogen, bringing it to a total of 150 units/ac. It received a growth regulator of CeCeCe 750 (1.25l/ha) and a wild oat herbicide of Axial Pro (0.6l/ha) last week. As the crop is very clean and there is low disease pressure because of the dry weather, Barty has delayed his T1 fungicide until this week. He has not decided what products to include, but a growth regulator of Medax Max will be included.
On a slightly different note, Barty has experienced a “ghost break” for the second time in four years. This is where the windscreen of the tractor has broken while parked in a locked shed. Barty and the windscreen replacer have no explanation for it.
Barty's spring barley has an optimal plant population and is well set up for the coming months.
Shaun Diver, Tullamore Farm,
Co Offaly
Land is drying out in this settled spell in Offaly and it has reduced a lot of spring planting pressures at Tullamore Farm.
The feed spring barley was planted last Thursday in very dry conditions. After the land was ploughed, the dry weather gave Shaun the opportunity to land-level the ground and power-harrow it before the one-pass planted the Geraldine barley at 170kg/ha.
The extra cultivations will take some pressure off Shaun when he goes to reseed the field after harvest as the field should already be pretty level. He says that if there was time pressure because of looming rain, the soil was in decent condition anyway and the barley could have been planted straight in.
Shaun broadcast three bags/ac of 0-7-30 and one bag/ac of CAN before the crop was planted. The remaining nitrogen will be applied when the barley emerges. The very dry soil allowed the crop to be rolled post-planting with little to no risk of soil compaction.
The field destined for the combi-crop of barley, oats and peas is still being grazed, but once this is complete, the field will be sprayed off in preparation for ploughing and sowing. The field has a lot of docks in it and it was chosen for the combi-crop for this reason.
Shaun likes to choose a paddock with a lot of docks or a more general weed issue for the combi-crop, as it gives him the opportunity to spray the docks before ploughing, after harvest and before forage rape is planted, and maybe even a third time before the field is reseeded next year. This should help to bring any weed issues under control by the time the field is in grass again.
Shaun is now beginning to think about fertiliser for silage fields, but he will wait until the rain returns to ensure the fertiliser is washed in.
The barley on Tullamore Farm was set in bone-dry conditions.
Pa Shine, Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary
The recent dry weather, with over 100ml less rainfall in March compared to 2024, has allowed Pa to complete his spring drilling and get up to date with his winter cereals. The warmer weather in the past week has driven growth and the winter cereals are motoring through stem extension.
While the two-row winter barley was slow to get going, the hybrid barley is flying it. The nitrogen will be finished this week, bringing it to a total of 160 units/ac. CeCeCe 750 (1l/ha) was applied early with a wild oat herbicide, and this was followed by a second growth regulator of CeCeCe 750 (1l/ha) and Trinex (0.2/ha for hybrid barley, 0.15l/ha for two-row barley).
The T1 fungicide was applied last week, this consisted of Navura, Comet 200 and trace elements.
The winter wheat is coming on after being thin due to slug damage after oilseed rape. An early application of CeCeCe 750 has really helped the crop to tiller. A To will be applied this week, consisting of Medax Max, Thiopron, CeCeCe 750, and Comet 200.
The winter oats look well and have received two growth regulators and a fungicide. There was some mildew which Pa has taken care of. He kept back a herbicide application until the coming week, as the weeds were not fully emerged yet. The Husky gluten-free spring oats were first to be planted on 8 March on ley ground. It was planted at 180kg/ha. It received 500kg/ha of 10-10-20 at planting, and Pa will top-dress the crop this week.
LG Mermaid is the main spring barley variety grown by Pa for malting, with some Hurler for feed also on the farm. These were planted at 188kg/ha. The last of the barley was planted last Saturday, but the earliest crops are well up and will be top-dressed this week.
Pa is going to apply muriate of potash to most crops this week too. He says that potassium is very important, and most crops will not have enough from their compound fertiliser.
Pa Shine is busy top-dressing his crops this week.
Barty O’Connor, Clohamon, Co Wexford
With the spring planting finished, Barty is tipping along spreading fertiliser and spraying crops. He was reminded by another farmer that “the best thing barley can get after sowing is two dry weeks” and Barty feels that it certainly holds true this year.
The early-sown spring malting barley has emerged in excellent conditions. Plant counts were conducted and the crop has between 320 and 325 plants/m2, which is ideal. Barty’s farm received 5mm of rain last Thursday night, so the first split of nitrogen was spread beforehand, so that the fertiliser would wash in.
Barty will apply the final split before the rain arrives in the coming days. He usually applies all of the nitrogen at once, but he is splitting the application this year because of sowing date, weather and crop factors. Barty usually brings spring malting barley to 110 units/ac, but he is pushing it to 122 units/ac this year. This is because of uncertainty around the demand for distilling barley, the early sowing date and trying to push the yield of the crop.
The later-sown barley is just peeping above ground and will receive its first split of nitrogen this week. The spring oats look well and have been brought up to 100 units/ac.
The winter barley has received the last of its nitrogen, bringing it to a total of 150 units/ac. It received a growth regulator of CeCeCe 750 (1.25l/ha) and a wild oat herbicide of Axial Pro (0.6l/ha) last week. As the crop is very clean and there is low disease pressure because of the dry weather, Barty has delayed his T1 fungicide until this week. He has not decided what products to include, but a growth regulator of Medax Max will be included.
On a slightly different note, Barty has experienced a “ghost break” for the second time in four years. This is where the windscreen of the tractor has broken while parked in a locked shed. Barty and the windscreen replacer have no explanation for it.
Barty's spring barley has an optimal plant population and is well set up for the coming months.
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