Sowing

Last week saw a lot of planting done across the country. Rain stopped work for many in the south, but others were able to continue to drill over much of the weekend and even into this week, depending on the part of the country you’re in. Rain on Monday stopped most work.

Ground conditions have been exceptional so far and it is great to see winter crops going in in good order. There have been two wet autumn sowing seasons and this weather may help to get more winter crops back into rotations and to spread workload during the season.

As the season goes on and ground conditions become more tricky then seeding rate will need to increase. Consult with your adviser on this as the thousand grain weight of the seed and the target plant count and expected establishment percentage all need to be considered.

Herbicide

Sowing early does increase the risk of grass weeds in crops. However, it also helps to get pre-emergence herbicides onto crops which can give good control. Pre-emergence is ideal, but early-post emergence is also a good option. Just make sure not to apply the herbicide as the crop is emerging from the ground. There are many different herbicide options out there so, depending on what weeds you have, you will need to talk to your agronomist.

Aphids

Crops sown in September that are not Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) tolerant should be sprayed with an aphicide at the two to three-leaf stage. These crops may require another insecticide in November. Crops sown in October should also receive an aphicide at the two to three-leaf stage. Some people advise spraying BYDV tolerant varieties. This is up to the grower and depends on expected BYDV pressure. BYDV tolerant varieties give an insurance because if conditions aren’t right for spraying at the stage an aphicide is needed the plant has some protection.

Research from Teagasc shows a significant benefit from spraying an aphicide on a BYDV tolerant variety in a high pressure year for BYDV, but in years where pressure was not high there were varying results with yields up and down, not massively, compared to unsprayed tolerant varieties. Temperatures are currently above average for October, but most crops are not emerged yet or are only emerging.

Maize

Maize crops are very varied across the country. Many crops were sown later than usual and some are not going to get the weather to mature fully. Goldcrop’s Dave Barry advised farmers at their recent open day to cut crops by 15 October and definitely before the first frost as frost will damage the leaves. Some of these crops will be low in dry matter and will be likely to have a lot of run-off. That effluent is very nutritious and high in sugar. He advised mixing in some beet or citrus pulp to soak it up. See more on pages 44-45.

Harvest

There are still beans to be harvested and many are still not ready. Check moisture requirements with your merchant before harvesting. Some farmers got baling done last week.