The Tillage Edge

One of the standout topics at this year's National Tillage Conference was on pesticide reduction and the role of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Presenters Meghan England and Robert McDougall, both researchers at Teagasc, join this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to share their insights.   Meghan conducted an extensive review of scientific papers and concluded that the evidence supporting pesticide...

One of the highlights of the Irish tillage calendar is the Teagasc National Tillage Conference, a must-attend event to hear about the latest research and advancements in the field.    For this week’s Tillage Edge, Dr. Ewen Mullins, Head of Crop Science at Teagasc, gives a preview of what to expect this year.     You must register for the National Tillage conference in advance and can do so here: h...

For the final part of our four-part series on farm succession, we chat to Ruth Fennell, a Collaborative Farm Specialist with Teagasc.    Ruth discusses Farm Partnerships and how these can be used to bring in the next generation to the farm structure, develop their skills, gradually devolve responsibility and also facilitate the transfer of the farm.     Ruth also talks about the tax advantages and...

For the third episode in our four-part series on farm succession planning, James McDonnell, a financial specialist with Teagasc, takes a closer look at the key steps to successful implementation and revisiting a succession plan.     James also touches upon how to bring professional services together to develop a robust succession plan.   For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podc...

For the second of the four-part series on farm succession ,we re-join James McDonnell, a financial specialist with Teagasc, to take a closer look at the various tax implications when planning for the farm transfer.    James talks about the tax exposure where the succession is not well planned and how to all but eliminate this cost.   For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast...

In this first episode of a four-part series on The Tillage Edge, we explore how families can best plan for succession on the farm.    James McDonnell, a financial specialist with Teagasc, discusses the key aspects of family farm succession and for part one, we focus on how to begin the succession journey, starting with family communication and the types of support available to help get the process...

Teagasc Economist, Dr. Fiona Thorne, discusses the key findings from the recent Teagasc Outlook 2025 conference on this week’s Tillage Edge.    Tillage farm incomes are expected to rebound after the tough year of 2023, with estimates showing a 40% increase in 2024 and further gains in 2025.    However, Fiona highlights the importance of context, emphasising that incomes are still below the five-ye...

For this week’s Tillage Edge, we rejoin Tom Barry, a tillage farmer from North Cork sharing how he's implementing sustainable farming practices using organic manures and reducing fertiliser use to enhancing biodiversity. On this episode, Tom explains more about the rotation on his farm and we’re also joined by Teagasc Signpost advisor, John Mahon, to get an insight into the environmental profile o...

Tom Barry, a tillage farmer from North Cork, who has recently been recognised with multiple environmental awards, joins The Tillage Edge for a two-part series sharing how he's implementing sustainable farming practices from using organic manures and reducing fertiliser use to enhancing biodiversity.  Plus he discusses the impact of these actions on his farm’s productivity.   For more episodes and...

A year ago, many farmers faced significant challenges due to the unusually wet weather, which disrupted their crop rotations.    For this week’s Tillage Edge, John Pettit, a Teagasc tillage advisor from South Wexford, shares his insights into how farmers are adapting their crop rotations to suit both their land and the local markets.   John explains that there may be more than one rotation on a fa...

Winter oilseed rape has grown strongly over the past month but these conditions are also good for foliar disease development.     Dr Stephen Kildea joins the Tillage Edge this week to talk about disease levels in oilseed rape and if control is necessary.   He encourages all growers to walk their fields to look for Phoma and Light Leaf Spot (LLS) and recommends if LLS is not visible, to take some l...

Organic farming is gaining attention as a viable option for tillage farmers, especially with the demand for organic feed in livestock production on the rise.    Martin Burke, an organic specialist from Teagasc, joins the Tillage Edge podcast to discuss how the recently opened Organic Scheme could offer new opportunities for farmers looking to diversify and improve sustainability.   With profitabil...

Over recent weeks, most farmers have had the opportunity to plant winter crops, with many crops well emerged.    Ciaran Collins, a tillage specialist, and Vijaya Bhaskar, a weed researcher from Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge podcast this week to discuss the best options for effective pre and post emergence weed control in winter cereals.    Ciaran emphasises that controlling grass weeds through pr...

With many crops just starting to emerge, it's time to think about protecting them from BYDV, or Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus.   Dr. Louise McNamara, an entomologist from Teagasc, joins this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the best strategies for controlling BYDV in winter cereals.   Louise emphasises that monitoring for aphids is key to any Integrated Pest Management approach.    However, due to the c...

With harvest complete, farmers now have a clear understanding of the grain they have available for sale.    While many have already sold their grain in forward market positions, others are considering deferring sales for several weeks or months.   James Nolan, a grain trader at Barnett-Hall, is on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the current market outlook and what farmers should expect as we m...

The Department of Agriculture now has a full view of all nutrients imported onto tillage farms and this week on the Tillage Edge, Pat Murphy, Head of Environmental Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, goes through what this means for farmers.     Pat explains that all chemical fertilisers bought and organic manures imported onto a farm are reported to the Department of Agriculture and the combined figur...

Weed control in winter cereals is essential to protect yields and to prevent weed seed return and on this week’s Tillage Edge, Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialists at Teagasc, chat through the reasons to prioritise pre-emerge herbicide applications in winter wheat and winter barley.   Shay says there is some flexibility in the pre-emerge application timing, however there is very lit...

As planting season begins, the choice of crop varieties will shape the management practices for the year ahead.    Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, Tillage Specialists at Teagasc, are on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the key factors in selecting varieties and why certain ones may be more suitable.   Ciaran advises that for larger acreages, a mix of varieties is crucial. He suggests starting w...

This week on The Tillage Edge podcast, we’re circling back to the National Tillage Conference from earlier this year and focusing on the trade-offs of establishment systems with Jack Jameson, as well as the growing problem of weeds, particularly poppies, with Charlotte Morgan.   For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-ed...

Correctly structured healthy soils will deliver better returns for farmers and on this week’s Tillage Edge, Dr Veronica Nyhan, a soil and plant nutrition specialist in Teagasc, joins the podcast to discuss why it is necessary to carry out regular soil assessments and how the results can be used to correct any deficits.   Veronica explains that a test dig can take about 20 minutes to complete and c...

There is a good proportion of the harvest completed and this week on The Tillage Edge podcast, Teagasc Tillage Advisors, Ciara O’Donovan, Conor O’Callaghan and John Pettit report on the yields in their areas to date with all three reporting good yields from spring barley along with reasonable straw yields.   There was agreement that winter cereal and winter oilseed rape yields were generally disap...

Tim Bergin, a Dublin man farming in Poland, and Andy Mahon, a Dubliner who manages a farm in the UK, join the Tillage Edge this week to chat about their respective harvests with contrasting reports of a very difficult year in the UK and a year full of promise from Poland.   In Poland, Tim explains that yields were reasonably good and harvest was straightforward to complete with all grain saved at...

Cover crops have many benefits for a farmer and also for the wider landscape and this week, Dr Richie Hackett, Teagasc Crops Researcher in Oak Park, joins the Tillage Edge podcast to delve into the benefits and pitfalls when growing cover crops.     Richie cautions farmers about using the same cover crop mixes in rotation with similar plant species and recommends a relatively safe cover crop mix t...

The ideal time to plant oilseed rape is in the next couple of weeks and so Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialists in Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge this week to chat about the variety choice and best practice for good establishment.   Oilseed rape comes with a lot of in-built genetic technology which Shay says will help to achieve high yields but he cautions that growers should carefu...

The Teagasc crops research farm in Oak Park, Carlow, is in the middle of the harvest and Brendan Burke, the farm manager, joins the Tillage Edge this week to chat about the highs and lows of the harvest so far.     Brendan explains that the winter barley and winter oats yields have been reasonable so far.   The farm also sells straw to regular customers but there was little interest in oaten straw...