Weather: Some areas of the country have received rain and others saw crops damaged with hailstones. However, large areas were missed by the rain by Wednesday morning. At this stage most crops would benefit from rain. Winter crops look well, beans are really thriving.

They were planted early and developed a good root, and are now accessing moisture further down in the ground. Spring crops are the ones struggling. While the majority of crops are doing fairly well, the last week has tested them and some are looking thin. Some later-sown crops have struggled to establish. Weed control is an issue in beet. Rain is forecast at the weekend for most parts, so this will be welcome and might make weed control in crops like beet a little bit easier.

Spring barley: Many spring barley crops are at flag leaf stage and some have awns peeping. Some crops are still receiving herbicides, while others have missed the T1 timing for fungicide. These crops are likely going to get a strong fungicide treatment now, but growers should be prepared to monitor crops into the next few weeks and apply again if needed. Many other crops are coming near the T2 timing, while some are at it with awns peeping. This fungicide should include an SDHI and a triazole, along with Folpet for ramularia and resistance management.

Crops with the flag leaf emerging or out are at the timing for Terpal if it is needed, but crops are so stressed at present it might only add to that stress. That said, if a variety with weak straw characteristics has not received a growth regulator, it may struggle with straw breakdown at harvest.

Beans: Most bean crops are in the flowering stage. In low disease situations you can delay the first fungicide, which is normally applied at the start of flowering. A product like Signum or Cobalt can be applied. Where grass weeds or volunteer cereals are an issue and the crop has started to flower, then you need a herbicide like Stratos Ultra.

Winter wheat: T2s continue to be applied. Remember you can only apply Inatreq once in the season. Alternate products between the T1 and the T2 timings. Include Folpet at 1.5l/ha.

ITLUS: The Irish Tillage and Land Use Society (ITLUS) will host its Summer Field Day on 5 June in counties Dublin and Meath. The day will kick off with registration from 8:45am. The first visit is Keoghs Farm, Co Dublin. The next stop is Agrotopia, based at Finnegan’s Farm, using hydroponics to produce nutrient dense feed from Irish cereals. McCormack Family Farms in Co Meath is after lunch.

They are Ireland’s largest grower of baby leaf salads and specialise in fresh-cut herbs and microgreens. The final stop of the day is Gerald Potterton’s farm in Co Meath. Many of our readers will be familiar with Gerald’s column in the Irish Farmers Journal.

You can book your place for the field day by emailing itlussec50@gmail.com by 5pm on Wednesday, 28 May. The cost to ITLUS members is €55, while non-members pay €85.