Weather: Many farmers have been out taking advantage of the recent spell of good weather by getting the plough out and getting some dry ground ready for the season ahead. There is still beet being pulled, hedges being cut and an odd few potatoes to be dug. Others have been spraying. Remember that under nitrates rules, if land was cultivated after harvest then you can plough or spray glyphosate anytime now from 1 December. However, if land was not cultivated then you cannot spray or cultivate until 1 February, unless a crop is going to be planted as soon as possible. Wet weather over the last few days may have stopped work for many.

Spraying: The weather is to be relatively mild over Christmas, so there may be an opportunity to do some weed control if you have some fields left to do. Although, there is also showery weather in the forecast, so ground conditions may not be suitable for travelling. Consult with your agronomist on what herbicides to use. On wheat, you may be moving to Allister Flex at this time of the year. Keep an eye out for light leaf spot in oilseed rape. You may also need to keep the pigeons away from the oilseed rape. Some crops are looking very well.

Payments: Check if your BISS, CRISS, Eco Scheme, Protein Aid Scheme and Straw Incorporation Measure payments have landed into your bank account. The Baling Assistance Payment isn’t due until the new year and may hold up some Straw Incorporation Measure payments.

The Protein Aid Scheme payment this year is €493/ha (€199.51/ac) for a protein crop and €246.50/ha (€99.76/ac) for a protein cereal mix crop. The budget for the scheme was increased this year, as the protein area was over 21,600ha and this brings the payment close to what was originally predicted by the Department at €500/ha for 2024, when this round of CAP started.

Cork had the highest number of applicants for the scheme, at 222. Some applicants have yet to be processed, but will be as quickly as possible, according to the Department.

The Straw Incorporation Measure payment is €250/ha for cereal crops and €150/ha for oilseed rape.

Hedgerows: If you have parcels in ACRES, you need to allow hedgerows grow to at least 1.8m. Consult with your adviser on this. If you are planting hedges, now is the time to do it. Stick to native species and native plants. If you import whitethorn there is a risk of fire blight, which could spread. Teagasc recommends sowing in a zig-zag pattern, with plants about 1ft apart to make two rows side by side. You should prune the plants as well to let them tiller out in the spring time. Add in some plants like holly or oak. You can put a pipe around some plants to allow a tree to grow up high over the hedgerow.

Happy Christmas: Happy Christmas to all our readers from the Tillage team. We hope you have a good break and take some days off from the farm.