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Frosty nights: January hasn’t been a big month for work so far with field work largely confined to slurry, an amount of ploughing, slug pellet spreading and some spraying.
A few frosty nights has allowed some work to take place this week. I even noted that some growers seized the opportunity to roll cover crops to help with their destruction before spring sowing. The cold spell is certainly useful for aphid and BYDV suppression, although growers report that aphid numbers are low. But this temporary reprieve in the weather looks short-lived, as we’ll see the return of an Atlantic regime by the weekend.
A busy spring: A rush of winter wheat planting this January is getting less likely by the day. We look at some of the winter wheat varieties suitable for spring planting. Many growers have sown winter wheat into February with good success so don’t be throwing in the towel yet.
However, we would’ve like to have seen some winter wheat planted in January, at very least to take some of the pressure off later. This spring is shaping up to be a busy one, make no mistake about it.
So use this downtime wisely and prepare for the high spring workload as best you can. Order the inputs which need to be ordered. Service your machines and leave them ready to go. Ensure you have replacements for the parts you know you’ll have to replace. Tidy your sheds and workbenches so you’re not looking for tools if you break down. Make this spring as lean as possible to help get through the workload in the most efficient and safest manner.
Spring beans: Certified bean seed is likely to be scarce this year, adding to the pressure on cereal seed availability as well as break crop seed availability. Growers on drier land may consider planting beans in the near future but only when conditions permit. Beans can be successfully planted by ploughing or strip-tilling, with seed rates driven by seed number and seed size. Aim to establish 30-35 plants/m2.
ITLUS US Internship: The deadline for the 2020 Irish Tillage and Land Use Society (ITLUS) US farm internship is 24 January. The internship is in association with the Ulster Arable Society and the Rosenbohm family and provides an opportunity to work and live in the US for a farming season. It provides a fantastic chance for an enthusiastic young person to travel and broaden their knowledge of global agriculture. Application forms are available on www.itlus.ie.
Dates for your diary: The Dairygold Spring Tillage seminar takes place on Friday 24 January at the Corrin Event Centre at Cork Marts grounds in Rathcormack, Co Cork, from 1.30pm. The focus will be on the sustainability of the tillage sector as well as winter and spring crop reviews.
The Teagasc National Tillage conference will take place next Wednesday 29 January at the Lyrath Convention Centre, Co Kilkenny, from 9am. The focus will be on minimising risk while promoting sustainability.
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