Gary Gillespie – UCD Lyons Farm, Celbridge,
Co Kildare
The recent dry weather was challenging for Gary as it impacted the germination and establishment of some of his trial plots.
However, it has provided some useful information into planting crops in dry weather, with linseed and lentils being particularly impressive so far. Some crops are struggling with the lack of moisture, leading to patchy emergence, but Gary thinks this will improve.
The crows have been relentless in the trial plots, and despite counter measures they have caused some damage – particularly to the maize and sunflower plots where nearly every seed was eaten and subsequently resown two weeks ago.
There were also leatherjackets in the field, something that was expected as it is in it’s second year after permanent pasture.
The second sowing of the trial plots will take place soon; these plots should still have some green leaf in early September so that diseases can be shown to students.
There is also disease present in the winter crops. Yellow rust came into the winter wheat crop in a matter of days two weeks ago, and there are now very high infection rates.
The spring barley planted in the winter has rhynchosprium on the leaves, but it has been quite stable with the dry weather.
There is some crown rust on the winter oats. The winter barley has stayed mostly clean, but it is the rye that is the standout crop.
It is spotless, however with no growth regulators applied it remains to be seen if the crop will be standing at harvest. The oats are also tall but they seem to have quite strong stems.
Gary will be demonstrating twelve of these crops and some new digital and robotic technologies on the UCD Belfield campus, Dublin 4, for the family-friendly UCD Festival on Saturday 7 June from 12 to 6pm, with other aspects of UCD Lyons Farm featuring on the day too. All are welcome to attend.
Tom Murray – O’Shea Farms,
Piltown,
Co Kilkenny
Things have been very busy on O’Shea Farms over the past month. Tom was glad to see the rain, but said it is a bit hit and miss so far, which makes irrigation a little bit more difficult.
Carrots had to be irrigated to germinate. Early carrots now have the covers off and the covers are due off others in 10 days. Once off, a graminicide is applied where needed, as well as fungicide and an insecticide.
Tom is busy advising on potato crops all across the country at present. He said potatoes in general look good. Pre-emergence herbicide was reported to be average, and post emergence herbicides may be needed.
However, Tom said pre-emergence herbicides sometimes work again once rain hits or crops are irrigated. Depending on the weed and its affect on yield, a tidy-up herbicide may be applied.
Many of the Roosters and Maris Pipers are on their second or third blight spray and will now be on a weekly spray. Salad potatoes are due a fungicide this week.
The winter wheat, with the exception of a crop of November sown, received its T2 of Revystar, Folpet and Epso Combitop last week. Tom applied Questar at T1 and is glad he did as crops are very clean now.
Revystar was applied at T2, along with folpet and 5kg/ha of Epso Combitop.
Weeds and wild oats were treated together. A T1 of 0.5l/ha of Proline and 0.5l/ha of Comet were applied to Florence spring barley, along with Modus at 0.2l/ha. Mantrac and Epso Combitop were also applied. The T2 is due next week.
Victor Love's beans were drilled into grass.
Victor Love – Strabane,
Co Tyrone
When talking this week, Victor remarked on the huge turnaround in weather. The week previous he had been making haylage and it had turned cold and wet this week. The last of the bales were brought inside for wrapping.
Victor has red clover on the farm and noticed slugs eating it. The slugs do not appear to be eating the white clover in the sward.
Spring barley was planted on 6 and 7 May. He said it took off after the rain. It is due its last bit of fertiliser. Poultry manure pellets were placed down the spout.
It has yet to receive its herbicide and will receive nutrition with it. A fungicide will be needed after the rain.
The spring wheat is still due a small bit of fertiliser and is just gone past three leaves. It did receive 1l/ha of CeCeCe and 5kg/ha of Epso Combitop. It is very clean, but will get a fungicide when the weather allows.
The beans were drilled six weeks ago into grassland and are looking well now having emerged through the grass. Some have two to four leaves, while more have six to eight leaves.
They received Emerger as a pre-emergence herbicide and will receive a grass herbicide with Brassitrel Pro, which is a mixture containing nutrients including Boron, Molybdenum, Magnesium, Manganese, Nitrogen and Calcium.
Victor will decide on whether to apply a fungicide or not in the coming days. He does not want the beans to stay green for too long at the time of the year when they should be harvested.
He may apply a low rate of Signum along with some nutrition, but will wait and see.
Gary Gillespie – UCD Lyons Farm, Celbridge,
Co Kildare
The recent dry weather was challenging for Gary as it impacted the germination and establishment of some of his trial plots.
However, it has provided some useful information into planting crops in dry weather, with linseed and lentils being particularly impressive so far. Some crops are struggling with the lack of moisture, leading to patchy emergence, but Gary thinks this will improve.
The crows have been relentless in the trial plots, and despite counter measures they have caused some damage – particularly to the maize and sunflower plots where nearly every seed was eaten and subsequently resown two weeks ago.
There were also leatherjackets in the field, something that was expected as it is in it’s second year after permanent pasture.
The second sowing of the trial plots will take place soon; these plots should still have some green leaf in early September so that diseases can be shown to students.
There is also disease present in the winter crops. Yellow rust came into the winter wheat crop in a matter of days two weeks ago, and there are now very high infection rates.
The spring barley planted in the winter has rhynchosprium on the leaves, but it has been quite stable with the dry weather.
There is some crown rust on the winter oats. The winter barley has stayed mostly clean, but it is the rye that is the standout crop.
It is spotless, however with no growth regulators applied it remains to be seen if the crop will be standing at harvest. The oats are also tall but they seem to have quite strong stems.
Gary will be demonstrating twelve of these crops and some new digital and robotic technologies on the UCD Belfield campus, Dublin 4, for the family-friendly UCD Festival on Saturday 7 June from 12 to 6pm, with other aspects of UCD Lyons Farm featuring on the day too. All are welcome to attend.
Tom Murray – O’Shea Farms,
Piltown,
Co Kilkenny
Things have been very busy on O’Shea Farms over the past month. Tom was glad to see the rain, but said it is a bit hit and miss so far, which makes irrigation a little bit more difficult.
Carrots had to be irrigated to germinate. Early carrots now have the covers off and the covers are due off others in 10 days. Once off, a graminicide is applied where needed, as well as fungicide and an insecticide.
Tom is busy advising on potato crops all across the country at present. He said potatoes in general look good. Pre-emergence herbicide was reported to be average, and post emergence herbicides may be needed.
However, Tom said pre-emergence herbicides sometimes work again once rain hits or crops are irrigated. Depending on the weed and its affect on yield, a tidy-up herbicide may be applied.
Many of the Roosters and Maris Pipers are on their second or third blight spray and will now be on a weekly spray. Salad potatoes are due a fungicide this week.
The winter wheat, with the exception of a crop of November sown, received its T2 of Revystar, Folpet and Epso Combitop last week. Tom applied Questar at T1 and is glad he did as crops are very clean now.
Revystar was applied at T2, along with folpet and 5kg/ha of Epso Combitop.
Weeds and wild oats were treated together. A T1 of 0.5l/ha of Proline and 0.5l/ha of Comet were applied to Florence spring barley, along with Modus at 0.2l/ha. Mantrac and Epso Combitop were also applied. The T2 is due next week.
Victor Love's beans were drilled into grass.
Victor Love – Strabane,
Co Tyrone
When talking this week, Victor remarked on the huge turnaround in weather. The week previous he had been making haylage and it had turned cold and wet this week. The last of the bales were brought inside for wrapping.
Victor has red clover on the farm and noticed slugs eating it. The slugs do not appear to be eating the white clover in the sward.
Spring barley was planted on 6 and 7 May. He said it took off after the rain. It is due its last bit of fertiliser. Poultry manure pellets were placed down the spout.
It has yet to receive its herbicide and will receive nutrition with it. A fungicide will be needed after the rain.
The spring wheat is still due a small bit of fertiliser and is just gone past three leaves. It did receive 1l/ha of CeCeCe and 5kg/ha of Epso Combitop. It is very clean, but will get a fungicide when the weather allows.
The beans were drilled six weeks ago into grassland and are looking well now having emerged through the grass. Some have two to four leaves, while more have six to eight leaves.
They received Emerger as a pre-emergence herbicide and will receive a grass herbicide with Brassitrel Pro, which is a mixture containing nutrients including Boron, Molybdenum, Magnesium, Manganese, Nitrogen and Calcium.
Victor will decide on whether to apply a fungicide or not in the coming days. He does not want the beans to stay green for too long at the time of the year when they should be harvested.
He may apply a low rate of Signum along with some nutrition, but will wait and see.
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