The Tillage Edge

Growing rye is becoming more of an option for farmers in recent years and on the latest episode of the Tillage Edge, Michael Hennessy speaks to Tipperary farmer, Gerard O’Mara, Teagasc tillage specialist, Ciaran Collins, and Teagasc adviser, Conor Kavanagh, to find out more. Gerard O’Mara, has been successfully growing rye for the past number of years and he has increased the acre of rye on his fa...

On the final Tillage Edge podcast for the year, Michael Hennessy reviewed the 2020 growing season with Teagasc specialists Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan. Both Shay and Ciaran pointed to the highs of a great start this spring but the weather played its part in the lows with drought in the east and storms in the south contributing to lower yields. Despite the lower yields a good rotation and/or add...

On the latest Tillage Edge podcast, Dr Ewen Mullins from Teagasc, Oak Park joined Michael Hennessy to discuss and explain the developments in plant breeding and biotechnology. Ewen briefly mapped breeding developments over the last 150 years before describing the different types of Genetically Modified (GM) techniques in use today. The most used GM technique is transgenics which uses genes from on...

Dr Noel Richardson, Lecturer and Director of HealthCORE in IT Carlow, joined Michael Hennessy on the latest episode of the Tillage Edge podcast to speak about farmers’ health and research carried out for the ‘On Feirm Ground’ initiative. On the podcast, Noel pointed to the fact that farmers need to take better care of their most precious asset: their health. The research with focus groups highligh...

Catherine Keena, Environmental Specialist in Teagasc joins Michael Hennessy on the latest Tillage Edge podcast to talk about hedges on tillage farms and how best to manage them. Catherine explained that hedges are excellent for both biodiversity and carbon capture. She pointed out that it’s the linear length that matters most, in that normal hedges around smaller fields are more beneficial than a...

Decreased water quality issues are widespread across Ireland regardless of area or farming system in that area and ASSAP, the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advice Programme, is tasked with working with farmers to help improve water quality. On this episode of the Tillage Edge, Fiona Doolan, ASSAP advisor in Teagasc, joins Michael Hennessy to explain the programme and how the supports beh...

Dr. Daire O’Huallachain, an agro-ecologist in Teagasc, joined Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss biodiversity on the agricultural landscape. Daire firstly explained that biodiversity in a landscape includes all the plants, insects, animals within it and that the biodiversity within an area will be a reflection of the management of that area, e.g. biodiversity in a rura...

Dr Stephen Kildea, a plant pathologist in Teagasc and Ciaran Collins, a crops specialist in Teagasc joined Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss weed control at this time of year. Ciaran began by discussing weed control in oilseed rape and he also explained that due to late planting and delayed crop development, weed control was even more important this year as crops will...

Dr. Michael Gaffney, a Research Entomologist in Teagasc, joined Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss aphid control and BYDV. Michael explained that even though there is some infection initially from winged aphids, only a small proportion of the problematic aphids (Grain aphid and Bird Cherry Oat aphid) actually carry the virus. It’s the offspring of these aphids which ca...

Weed control in winter cereals is the topic covered on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast with Martin Bourke and Jimmy Staples joining Michael Hennessy to discuss in more detail. Martin, a Teagasc advisor from Wicklow, discussed the advantages of selecting a pre-emergence or post emergence herbicide options. Martin outlined knowing the field history is extremely important to selecting the best pre-e...

James McDonnell a Financial Specialist in Teagasc joins Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss how best to manage your farm finances. James starts with the basics describing the differences between main concepts like turnover, profit and cash flow. ”Cash flow is essentially a measure of the cash in your account,” he explains. “In certain circumstances you could have a high...

James Nolan, a grain trader from R&H Hall, joined Michael Hennessy on the Tillage Edge podcast this week to discuss the cereal harvest around the world and what that means for Irish tillage producers. James talked about the volumes of maize, wheat, and barley production around the world and noted Russia's large harvest at an estimated 83 million tonnes. This is currently the cheapest supply of...

Dr Veronica Nyham from Teagasc, Portlaoise joins Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss important aspects of soil fertility and soil sampling. Veronica explains that over 50% of tillage soils have low soil fertility (index 1 and 2). Where farmers are using maintenance fertiliser levels on these fields then crop yield will be penalised. Lime is the most import part of soil...

On this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Michael Hennessy finds out about the harvest so far from the midlands and the south of the country. John Kelly, from Teagasc Offaly said there are a lot of difficulties this year with low yields of both grain and straw but there are emerging problems of lodged crops and grain loss. The position is worse in the south with winter wheat shedding heads and grain re...

Desiccating potato crops are the topic on this week’s Tillage Edge with Ciaran Collins joined by Shay Phelan, Teagasc Potato Specialist to discuss in more detail. Firstly Shay gives an update on how crops are progressing as we approach harvest and he then highlights that there are significant challenges facing growers this year with high disease pressure, deteriorating ground conditions and limite...

Ciaran Collins joins Shay Phelan on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss winter oilseed rape as an option for tillage farmers. Ciaran discusses the performance of the crop this harvest, the benefits of having break crops in the rotation and the early crop management including variety choice, drilling and weed control. Finally, Ciaran looks at the profitability of winter oilseed rape compare...

This week’s Tillage Edge podcast with Eoin Lyons discusses harvest 2020 with Teagasc tillage advisors Ciaran Hickey and Conor O Callaghan to see how progress is going to date and how crops are yielding in the south and north-east of the country. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ The Tillage Edge is a c...

The function and benefits of cover crops on your farm is the topic on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast and Michael Hennessy was joined by Richie Hackett, Teagasc Oak Park, to find out more. Richie explained that these crops can catch nutrients such as nitrate (and slow the overland flow of soil thus reducing phosphorus runoff), can protect or enhance the soil, can contribute nutrients to the next...

This week, the Tillage Edge podcast gets a crops harvest update from the counties of Cork and Carlow with Phelim McDonald of Teagasc, Carlow and Elaine Clifford, Teagasc, Cork joining presenter Michael Hennessy with the latest information. Firstly, Phelim gives an update on how the harvest is progressing so far in Carlow, explaining that there is between a third and a half of the area completed so...

Shay Phelan, Crops & Potato Specialist, Teagasc, Oak Park joined Mark Plunkett on the Tillage Edge podcast this week.  Shay discussed potato blight control, blight programmes, products available and their effective use. There was also an update on potato crops in 2020 and expected market supply, plus development of resistant strains of blight was also discussed on the programme. For more episo...

Pat Farrell, IFA Grain & Horticulture Executive joined Mark Plunkett on this week’s episode of the Tillage Edge with Pat giving an update on the expected tonnage for the grain harvest both locally and internationally as well as prices for 2020.  Pat also discussed many factors impacting grain prices here in Ireland from maize corn, forward selling to Covid 19.  It was highlighted that oilseeds...

Dermot Forristal was the guest on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to speak to Michael Hennessy about combine set up and also the importance of stopping grass weed seeds spreading during harvest.  Crop through put, crop losses and quality are important factors in setting up the combine according to Dermot.  “Adjustment varies according to combine make but in order to get the set up correct machine...

Gordon Rennick, PRCD, for the Department of Agriculture and Marine joined Michael Hennessy on the Tillage Edge podcast this week.  Gordon explained that PRCD stands for the Pesticide Registration and Control Division of the Department of Agriculture and the unit has a wide range of roles from registering pesticides, residue testing, inspecting retail and farmers along with a host of other diverse...

Francis Blight, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist joined Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to discuss machinery safety for young drivers and also other safety areas around the farmyard.  Francis told the Tillage Edge there was no change in legislation regarding young drivers operating larger and faster tractors.  Therefore, there is increased onus on the owner of the machiner...

On the Teagasc Tillage Edge podcast this week, Michael Hennessy was joined by Liz Glynn of Corteva, who chatted about broad leaf weed control and herbicide resistance issues in Ireland. Liz told the Tillage Edge there are problems with broad leaved weeds escaping uncontrolled or partially controlled through to harvest. Liz said farmers need to check a number of areas such as weed type, weed size,...