Weather: The weather for the week ahead is fairly showery and temperatures are not getting too high. It’s still probably ideal for disease, as temperatures won’t drop dramatically.

Winter wheat: Some people might still be tidying up T3s on winter wheat. Remember the cost of the inputs has to make financial sense. While you don’t want Septoria to take off this month, you don’t need a completely clean wheat plant at the end of the season. The T3 is aimed at fusarium control, and with current weather that could prove problematic.

Spring barley: Late spring barley crops may still need a fungicide. Folpet is needed at this timing, along with an SDHI and a triazole. Chat to your agronomist on this to see what is needed and what you should spend, as it may not be long since the last application.

Wild oats and other grasses: Wild oats and other grasses need to be controlled. Any wild oats in fields should be pulled now and before they go to seed. Herbicides for wild oats are becoming expensive, and allowing them to go to seed and produce more seed next year and possibly spread will only increase the cost of control next year.

Wild oats and blackgrass are noxious weeds, and if uncontrolled can result in a penalty on your BISS payment. Walk winter crops now to pull any grasses like wild oats, blackgrass, brome, Italian ryegrass and canary grass. Map weeds and check what control worked where. Did the herbicide work? Is there a risk of resistance? If so, you should get weeds tested at Teagasc.

BISS: About 4,600 farmers received notifications from the Department of Agriculture last week to log in and check their BISS applications and make a correction where needed. There may be a dual claim for example, and you can correct it up until 23 June. There will also be some notifications from 24 June where there might be a roadway in a land parcel or a new shed which was built on a parcel.

Sprayer testing: Many sprayers were due their re-test last year or this year. Make sure yours is up to date. On this week’s machinery pages you can get all the details on sprayer testing.

Sprayers last tested in 2022 are due their test in 2025. You need to test your sprayer every three years. New sprayers should be tested after three years as well. If your sprayer is not in test, then you could receive a penalty on your BISS payment.

Open days: Get out to open days. There are a variety of open days from Goldcrop, Seedtech and Drummonds, Teagasc walks and many more. Crops and Technology, an event from the Irish Farmers Journal and Teagasc, which is held in Teagasc Oak Park takes place on Wednesday, 25 June from 10am to 5pm. You can see all the latest crops research and a machinery demonstration focused on new technologies.