The Tillage Edge

Teagasc Oak Park is Ireland’s most visited tillage farm, welcoming plenty of open days, international visitors, and discussion groups throughout the year.    This week, we’re joined by Oak Park Farm Manager, Brendan Bourke, for an autumn update from the farm.   Brendan chats about the different establishment methods they’ve been using, the new roller that’s been put to work, and how they’re adding...

Conor Kavanagh, a Teagasc tillage advisor in Tipperary, joins Michael on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss weed control strategies in winter cereals.   Michael also chats with John Pettit, a Teagasc tillage advisor based in Wexford, about BYDV control strategies.   Conor first explains that it’s important to apply post-emergence herbicides as early as possible, as they’re far less effective on g...

Benchmarking helps farmers see where they stand and identify opportunities to improve profit and efficiency.   For this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Michael Hennessy talks to Dr. Fiona Thorne, Teagasc Economist, and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialist, about the latest Cereal Enterprise Factsheet and how to use Teagasc Costs and Returns to measure real farm performance.   They discuss the importanc...

Professor Andrew McGuire from Washington State University joins Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss how to assess the real value of crop inputs.  Andrew discusses practical ways to evaluate new products, bio-stimulants, and other supplemental products, highlighting the importance of evidence-based decisions and on-farm trials.    For more episodes and information from t...

We look at why improving soils is so important and how understanding the basics — from soil structure to nutrient interactions — can help you make lasting improvements.    Dr. Veronica Nyhan, Plant and Soils Specialist with Teagasc, joins us on the Tillage Edge to discuss core soil tests, key soil properties, and how tracking changes over time can show whether your practices are really helping you...

Planting of winter cereals is now underway, with good progress being made in the north-east, while things are moving a little slower in the south.    As crops go in, attention soon turns to weed control. In recent years, growers have faced increasing challenges from grass weeds like annual meadow grass and Italian ryegrass, particularly as resistance to herbicides continues to develop.    For this...

As winter cereal planting gets underway, farmers are focusing on crop mix decisions and the impact on farm margins.    For this episode of The Tillage Edge, we share the final talks from the Teagasc Crops Forum where Michael McKeon, Teagasc Pig & Poultry Specialist, highlights rye’s role in pig rations and the opportunities for home millers.    Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Tillage Specialist, prese...

This year’s Crops Forum focused on rye and its potential on tillage and pig farms with Dr. Richie Hackett from Oak Park, Teagasc, delivering the keynote talk.   For this week’s Tillage Edge, you will hear Richie’s talk that covered everything from seeding rates and nitrogen to disease control and beyond.    He also discussed market opportunities, while cautioning that growers should secure a marke...

As cereal planting decisions loom, variety choice is more important than ever.    This week's episode of the Tillage Edge looks at how shifting performance and rising yellow rust pressure will influence variety selection.    You will hear the insights from Dr. Stephen Kildea who spoke at the Teagasc Crops Forum held earlier this week.   For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podca...

For this second Tillage Edge episode from seed company open days, Michael Hennessy catches up with Seedtech’s Tim O’Donovan after their open day in Waterford.    Tim shares insights on top crop varieties that can boost farm profits and warns that yellow rust could be a big challenge next year—though quick action in early spring will keep it firmly in check.   For more episodes and information from...

Ciaran Collins, a Teagasc Tillage Specialist, explains the new Soil Cycle project and its goal of developing practical guidance for farmers on using organic manures on winter crops in the spring.    The project centres on farmers and contractors, and Ciaran is currently recruiting participants. If you’re interested, you can contact him at Ciaran. Collins@teagasc.ie .   Ciaran also highlights an ex...

In the first of two episodes covering seed company open days held earlier this year, John Dunne from Goldcrop discusses the selection of varieties available this season.    He highlights several new winter wheat varieties with improved disease resistance, and also touches on winter barley and rye during the conversation.   For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to: http...

Phelim McDonald, Teagasc's tillage advisor in the Carlow–Wexford region, and Shay Phelan, Teagasc tillage specialist, are on this week’s Tillage Edge to talk about oilseed rape planting for 2026.    Shay explains why oilseed rape offers a safer financial margin than cereals, thanks to its relatively stable price and consistent yield.    Phelim discusses seeding rates and rotational positions for b...

To find out about the harvest progress across the country, Michael Hennessy talks with John Brophy, Teagasc tillage advisor in north Kildare, and Ciaran Collins, Teagasc tillage specialist.   They share yield updates for winter barley, wheat, oats, and oilseed rape, and discuss early results for spring barley.    The conversation also covers how this year compares to past seasons and the prospects...

In this follow-up episode on combines, Michael Hennessy continues his conversation with Dermot Forristal, a researcher in Teagasc, exploring the practical decisions farmers face when upgrading or maintaining a combine.    They discuss the cost-benefit of new technology, ownership models, and how tools like yield mapping and RTK autosteer can support better farm decisions.    Dermot also shares adv...

Dermot Forristal from Teagasc Oak Park, explores how combine harvesters have evolved over the past 60 years on this week’s Tillage Edge.   From mechanical threshers to GPS-enabled machines, Dermot shares insights on key developments, the impact of farm size, and underused technologies that could boost efficiency. This is part one of a two-part series on combines.   For more episodes and informatio...

Teagasc Tillage Specialists, Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, discuss the harvest so far on this week’s Tillage Edge.   They discuss how, to date, winter barley yields have been above the five-year average.    However, Shay also highlights that some varieties have not performed as well as others.   Ciaran emphasises the importance of managing stubbles — both for compliance and weed control — and ad...

Tom Kelly, Scheme Manager of the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme, joins us on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss how Irish grain meets high quality standards.    We explore the key elements of the scheme, its role in ensuring traceability and market confidence, and what it means for farmers on the ground.   Tom also outlines new requirements around trailer identification and what farmers need to do...

We continue our coverage from the recent Teagasc Crops and Technology Open Day in Oak Park, Carlow.    Michael Hennessy speaks with John Spink about the launch of the Tillage AgNav programme which is an important new decision support tool for Irish tillage farmers.    Richie Hackett shares advice on growing winter rye, a crop gaining popularity in recent years.   And Stephen Kildea discusses wheat...

For this week’s Tillage Edge, we bring you highlights from the Teagasc Crops & Technology Open Day in Oak Park, Carlow.    Michael Hennessy chats with Dr. Ewen Mullins about the event and farmer feedback, Veronica Nyhan gives a tour of the soil pit, and Jack Jameson discusses his wheat variety trials.    Packed with practical insights and research updates, this episode captures key moments fro...

The Teagasc Crops and Technology Open Day is taking place next week in Oak Park and on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Dr Ewen Mullins, Head of Crops Research, and Dermot Forristal, Crops Researcher in Teagasc, preview the event.   As Ewen explains, it will take people most of the day to get through the full array of research and agronomy stands, crop workshops and machinery demonstrations, not...

Sprayer technology has advanced significantly over the past decade, yet the core principle remains the same: delivering the correct spray quality and rate to the target area.   For this week’s Tillage Edge podcast - the second of a two-part series with Dermot Forristal, a researcher with Teagasc - Dermot discusses the latest developments in sprayer technology, including nozzle technology and where...

The grain harvest in the United States has a significant impact on global markets - and directly influences harvest prices here in Ireland.   So, for this week’s Tillage Edge, Brian Caldbeck, an Irishman running a seed business in Kentucky, returns to the show to discuss how US farmers are faring this season.   Brian explains that farmers in the Kentucky area are currently facing very wet conditio...

Sprayer technology has advanced significantly over the past decade, yet the core principle remains the same: delivering the correct spray quality and rate to the target area. For this week's Tillage Edge podcast — the first of a two-part series — Dermot Forristal, researcher with Teagasc, discusses the latest developments in sprayer technology and how these innovations can support farmers in the d...

Challenges like weather, product availability and varying soil types often means that blanket applications are the norm rather than precise, targeted inputs.   This week, the Tillage Signpost programme held an event at Don Somers’ farm in county Wexford to explore how he’s applying inputs with greater accuracy and Michael Hennessy spoke to Don on the latest Tillage Edge podcast to find out more.  ...