Weather

The last week brought some rain to most parts, and in general this was welcome. Some sunshine is needed for grain fill, but the rain has reduced stress on some crops.

Winter barley will be going under the knife in the coming days if the weather is suitable, although there is quite a bit of rain in the forecast. Early varieties like KWS Joyau will be among the first to be cut.

Spring cereals

Any spring cereals which have not received a final spray should have it applied in the coming days. Showery weather combined with higher temperatures are ideal for disease levels to increase.

Glyphosate

Glyphosate was re-registered for use in agriculture, but rules have changed for its use. One major change will affect growers in the coming weeks.

Glyphosate cannot be used to desiccate oilseed rape crops. If there is a weed problem in the crop then it can be used. It cannot be used any later than 14 days before harvest.

Spraying cereals pre-harvest was not allowed under previous rules, except in the case of a weed problem and this is still the case. You should use up any product purchased before 31 March by 30 September 2025.

Grass weeds

Grass weeds need to be controlled in all crops. Walk crops for weeds and to examine how disease programmes worked. Pull any weeds which have escaped control, and if they are gone to seed, cover the seed with a plastic bag.

There may still be time to whole crop winter barley crops where grass weed numbers are high. Make sure grass isn’t gone to seed and try and target the grain after the milky stage when the grain is cheesy for harvesting.

Winter oilseed rape

Winter oilseed rape should only be desiccated with glyphosate if there are weed issues. You should assess the crop before spraying. Take about 20 pods and examine how many seeds are green. If less than 30% of the seeds are green then it can be sprayed. Consult your adviser on product type and timings to use.

Trailer identification

The Irish Grain Assurance Scheme announced this week that requirements for trailer identification numbers will be rolled out over the next two years and be in place by 2024.

You can see the full story in the news pages. It looks relatively simple to implement with your IGAS number and a trailer number on both sides of your trailer. It does not need to be on trailers this harvest, but can be if desired. The number should be the size of a vehicle registration plate.

Varieties focus

Next week we will publish a special on varieties. In the past few weeks we have been busy visiting variety trial sites and have all the latest information on the newest and best varieties for cereals, beans and oilseed rape in the market. It’s not to be missed.