The Tillage Edge

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...

Tillage farming has reasonably good environmental credentials but there is always room for improvement and Noel Meehan, ASSAP Manager, joins us on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to talk about the funding which is available to tillage farmers as part of the Water EIP project.   Noel says the project is targeting specific areas around the country, and where farmers are eligible, there are measures...

Farmers, James O’Reilly, from Kilkenny, and James Hegarty, from Cork, join this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to chat about the harvest so far.     James O’Reilly says that winter barley yields were mixed and the average is likely to be lower than other years, while James Hegarty admits his yields are also mixed but he is happy with grain quality.   Both farmers expressed their frustration over the...

Not all crop varieties which could be available to Irish farmers are suitable to be grown in Ireland and on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Tim O'Donovan, Technical Director at Seedtech, chats through the varieties which are available and why these are suitable to Irish conditions.    Tim explains the value of trialling these varieties in Irish conditions, as years like 2024 weeds out varieties...

Organic tillage farming may seem out of reach to most conventional tillage farmers, however Gavin Tully, an organic tillage farmer in Wexford, is on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to explain how he has successfully negotiated some of the problems associated with the organic system.    Gavin explains that he is a fan of cereal and protein mixes as it results in a well-balanced concentrate for his...

John Dunne, Arable Trials and Agronomy Manager at Goldcrop, joined the Tillage Edge podcast this week to chat about the varieties coming through the system.    John first discusses the array of existing and new varieties that were on display at the Goldcrop Open day in Cork.    He outlines the disease pressure in all cereals but is particularly happy that the new winter barley varieties are standi...

The wet and cold spring in Ireland was mirrored in the US according to Brian Caldbeck, a Laois man, who is farming and running a seeds business in Kentucky, USA, and joins Michael on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast.     Brian says the late planting into poor seedbed conditions will result in small roots which leave crops more exposed to drought and heat stresses.  Although the risks are greater i...

Despite reports of poor weather in parts of Europe, Tim Bergin, a Dubliner who is farming in Poland and is on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, says his crops are excellent and he is hopeful for a good harvest.     However, Tim does outline the very poor conditions experienced over the autumn last year and the lengths needed to harvest potatoes on his farm.   The soils on Tim’s farm are clay loam...

As we move towards the end of the growing season, some final actions are necessary on spring crops.  Ciaran Collins, a Tillage Specialist in Teagasc, and Eoin Lyons, a Tillage advisor in Teagasc, join this week's Tillage Edge podcast to discuss the critical agronomy actions needed over the next couple of weeks.   On the show, Eoin explains how reduced growth over the past couple of weeks has also...

Kilkenny farmer Kevin O’Donnell joins Michael Hennessy on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to explain how he is getting the best from organic manures on his tillage operation.     Kevin has been using manures for a number of years and is in the process of constructing a large over-ground slurry store.   Before importing slurries, Kevin’s advisor produced a Nutrient Management Plan so that Kevin co...

Minister of State, Martin Heydon, TD joins this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to talk about the recently published Food Vision 2030 Tillage Report which sets out 28 recommendations to develop the tillage sector.    Minister Heydon says the tillage sector is integral to the fabric of Irish agriculture and is a necessary part for all other areas to work well.   He also makes a particular reference to...

Grass weeds can be a serious risk to tillage farmers, and unlike the weather or international markets, grass weed prevention and eradication is something that is in the farmer’s control.   Teagasc advisor, John Mahon, and Vijaya Bhaskar, Teagasc weed researcher, are on this week's Tillage Edge podcast to discuss grass weeds and how important it is to be vigilant at this time of year to prevent spr...