Tillage Management : variable rainfall is delaying the end of winter planting

Crop condition is generally satisfactory but keep an eye out for signs of crow, slug and rabbit damage, and take action where necessary.

Andy Doyle

18 November 2020

Tillage Management : variable rainfall is delaying the end of winter planting

Crops can also be attacked by pests post establishment as crows go in search of grubs and slugs and rabbits graze emerged foliage.

A bit more planted: Ground conditions remain challenging but there was a little planting done last week in parts of the country. Conditions remain marginal at best and there is little in the way of good settled weather on the horizon. Rainfall amounts for the month to date varied from 37mm at Dublin airport to over 130mm at Cork airport, with huge local variability. Crop condition: The condition of planted crops depends on where they are and when they were planted. Water has begun to sit on fields now in higher-rainfall areas. It is taking longer for crops to come through the ground now and this will increase. But if you get a crop planted in good conditions this still gives it a reasonable chance.

Crop condition: The condition of planted crops depends on where they are and when they were planted. Water has begun to sit on fields now in higher-rainfall areas. It is taking longer for crops to come through the ground now and this will increase. But if you get a crop planted in good conditions this still gives it a reasonable chance.

Pests: Crows are quite active in places and the threat to tillage fields will increase as days shorten and temperatures fall. This is especially the case for recently sown fields and crops that are still emerging. If there are signs of crow activity, consider putting out deterrents like kites or thread. But do this before they get a taste for what is planted in your field.

You should also keep an eye on all crops for slugs, rabbits and signs of rat or mouse damage close to hedges.

Slug traps: I recently made reference to baiting for slugs post-sowing. I wish to explain this further. The use of traps to assess the activity of slugs in a field should be done immediately after sowing. This allows time to assess the activity level and also to get pellets applied if necessary. Applying pellets before the crop begins to emerge makes them more effective, as there is no other source of food at the time. Once a crop has emerged a slug can feed on a plant on its way to a pellet.

Use traps to make early and informed decisions but how should you bait a trap. For years we used the practice of baiting under slates or tiles using slug pellets. That was somewhat accurate when using methiocarb baits but slugs baited with methaldehyde pellets may go back into the ground shortly after feeding. If this happens, activity may be higher than what your trap indicates.

For this reason, baiting with products like the breakfast cereal Alpen is recommended. Place a spoon or two under an inverted flowerpot saucer. This keeps out light and has enough space to accommodate the likely numbers. The height clearance is seen as useful. Place something heavy on top to prevent it from being blown away. Check traps within a day or two. If you find more than four slugs per trap, treatment with pellets is recommended.

Markets: Markets remain strong for grains and for oilseed rape. At some point they will settle and turn but they may rise a bit further first. It is also worth noting that prices for next year seem relatively good for the time of year and it might be worth considering some forwards sales.