The unintended consequences of the nitrates directive on land availability for tillage farmers loomed large at the latest well-attended Irish Grain Growers (IGG) meeting in Enniscorthy on Tuesday 7 February.

While the Climate Action Plan envisages an extra 50,000ha of tillage crops, tillage farmers are losing acres to dairy farming, IGG’s Pat Cleary said.

It was suggested from the floor that dairy farmers should export slurry to neighbouring tillage farmers “rather than paying €550/ac for land they never intended taking before the new nitrates regulations”.

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Teagasc’s Ciarán Hickey gave a comprehensive overview of the changes facing tillage farmers this year. With cuts to most grower’s direct payments, he highlighted the importance of qualifying for eco-scheme payments, which could be worth about €77/ha.

Only a limited range of the eight options will work for most tillage farmers, he added.

Uptake

Fellow Teagasc tillage adviser Eoin Lyons showed that while significant amounts of nitrogen are being trapped by cover crops, the uptake of that nitrogen into the following crop was variable.

Lyons highlighted research that showed a significant advantage in early (mid-August) planting of cover crops.

Planting in mid-September proved to be counter-productive, with Lyons suggesting that natural regeneration could achieve similar nitrogen capture. Slurry application to cover crops increased crop bulk, but the extra nitrogen captured broadly corresponded with the nitrogen applied in the slurry.

Farmers in the room highlighted the other advantages of cover crops in terms of soil structure and organic matter levels. IGG president Bobby Miller urged farmers to make a submission to the sustainable use regulations consultation process.

Field work

With little rain forecast for the next 10 days, the level of activity in fields is sure to ramp up.

Farmers from Cork to Kildare were present and, reported that land was ploughing up in very good condition in all areas.

Beans and spring wheat are being planted, but most farmers are holding off on planting any spring barley for the time being.