It was the last of the sunny days in May when the Irish Farmers Journal visited Coleman’s farm in Castlemagner, Co Cork, where Billy and his son Rob farm mainly tillage, with some cattle and sheep. Billy was out finishing the T2s on the winter wheat that day.
From the hill at the top of the farm, you can see Carrauntoohill to the southwest and Galtymore to the northeast on a clear day. The soil here is generally nice, loamy land, with some parts over sandstone having a bit more clay and the crops were looking wonderful.
The farm is mostly winter crops, along with spring oats. The winter crops were not as affected by the spring’s reduced rainfall levels, but the soil condition was helping with that as well.
Most of the cereal crops are first cereals after winter oilseed rape or winter beans with some after spring oats. There’s a good rotation. Farmyard manure is available to apply to the land and crops are min-tilled or direct-drilled.
The winter wheat was looking very clean for a crop that was sown in September.
The Colemans have two 6m drills and, as Rob says, they are over-mechanised in a way, but they need to be to get winter crops in for their system. With a minimum-tillage system comes early planting.
Sowing started around 23 September 2024 for barley and wheat. This can bring its own challenges for disease and grass weeds, but crops were not under high disease pressure.
The father and son duo work well together. After school Rob followed in his father’s tracks into car racing. He lined out and succeeded in Formula races, before heading to college to study material science.
He worked off farm and travelled before joining his father full-time on the farm in 2008. Rob’s sister Elaine keeps on top of the books from straw to grain sales.
Meeting Rob, it’s clear he likes a slightly slower pace of life among the peace of north Cork. The buzz of the bees is the closest he comes to the sound of the racetrack at present and he is clearly happy with that.
Rob is now the chair of BASE Ireland (Biodiversity Agriculture Soil Environment). BASE is a group of farmers often associated with cutting artificial inputs, no ploughing and a move away from what is considered conventional farming. However, BASE describes itself as a community of farmers committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of conservation agriculture.
The reader looking in at the Coleman’s farm will probably say they are good farmers. They’re doing the basics right and trying an odd thing to improve things on their farm. They are not what people expect to associate with BASE, which is something Rob probably wants to change in his time as chairperson.
Soil
Rob commented that Billy has always been out with a spade examining and looking after the soil. Livestock have always been on the farm and this helps with soil fertility. No artificial Ps or Ks are applied.
Neither are fans of insecticides and are a long time without them. The plough was put away in 2002, and made brief appearances in 2012 and 2023 when the weather wasn’t playing ball. There is no rule to say it won’t be used again.
Rob has been spraying off small patches of crops where Italian ryegrass is present to get the weed under control.
The farm has to make money and provide incomes. Minimum-tillage helps to reduce costs and speed up establishment, while also benefiting the soil, but if a plough is needed in a wet year to get a crop in then it can be taken out and rotations might be left intact.
What Rob gets from BASE looks to be the social outlet, sharing experiences, chatting about mistakes with other farmers and seeing if something that someone else is doing would work for them, but there won’t be a sudden switch to a technique on the farm or fungicides won’t be chopped out of the inputs list in an instant. That’s where BASE comes in. Members learn from each other’s experiences.
Once again, the farm has to make money and if you suddenly decide not to apply fungicide or take out aphicide without considering the consequences then your yields and profits can take a big hit. It’s important to try any changes in small areas and gradually build them up over time.
Winter barley
Winter barley was the first crop we looked at and in an early-sowing situation like this farm the barley yellow dwarf virus tolerant varieties have been a game changer. KWS Joyau and Integral are on the farm this year and were planted after winter beans. The crop was even and clean. It was up around 140 units of nitrogen (N)/ac.
All crops received a bag of ASN and 30 units of sulphur. The remainder of the nitrogen was applied in liquid form and in two passes of the sprayer. The Colemans have two tanks for the liquid N on the farm. The accuracy and evenness of spread are advantages of this product.
Winter beans
Winter beans were the next crop we saw and while they take some fighting with the crows most years, they are an important part of the rotation as they are harvested earlier than spring beans and allow a winter cereal to be planted early.
The winter beans were sown into a catch crop of oats which was still visible in parts in May.
The beans were really impressive looking. They were drilled in November to just under 3”. They went into a cover crop of oats which was sprayed off with glyphosate and some of the crop could still be seen on the soil surface. The crop had received one fungicide so far of Signum, along with nutrition in the form of Basfoliar. Statos Ultra was also applied for grass weeds and volunteer cereals. Along with the payment from Government the beans were touching 3t/ac last year, and aside from the profit, provide a yield benefit to the next crop and another option for grass weed control.
Italian ryegrass
Italian ryegrass is an issue on the farm and was visible in small amounts as we travelled, but what was more visible were the efforts to control it. Break crops are one of the first tactics to help control the weed. Pre-emergence herbicides are essential, while Rob also heads out with his knapsack to spray off patches of the crop where Italian ryegrass may be persisting in a small area or a headland.
This is the approach that has to be taken. Rob has also sent seeds to Teagasc to be tested and took part in the grass weeds project a few years ago. Every step is being taken to control the weed. Some will look at the early sowing date and suggest it should be pulled back, but all other tools are being used to control the weed.
When you’re driving around from field to field you notice the crops are blocked. There is a block of beans and a block of oilseed rape, etc. This means when it is time to cut this crop the machinery travels to that area and does not have to move until the job is done, to improve efficiency. Machinery can also be cleaned at the end of a block to prevent the spread of weeds.
Winter wheat
The wheat is on about 160 units of nitrogen. The first of the crops received Revystar at T1 and this was switched to Questar when disease pressure started to creep in. The opposite is being carried out for T2. The wheat received manganese with the CeCeCe early in the season. Magnesium was applied at T1 and T2, while potash was being applied at T2 and will be applied at T3.
Rob has also been growing some lactobacillus bacteria in IBC tanks. This will be applied at the T3 timing, which he hopes will help to prevent fusarium.
Rob Coleman in a field of oilseed rape on the family farm in Co Cork.
Catch crops and chopping straw
No artificial Ps or Ks are being applied on the farm. Farmyard manure, catch crops and grazing livestock have helped to build up the levels over time. All cereal straw is baled. The Colemans are surrounded by livestock farms and have plenty of markets. They bale the bean straw for their own bedding and oilseed rape is chopped.
Catch crops are grown on the farm where a winter cover is needed. The Colemans have sheep and previously bought store lambs over the winters, but the new grazing rules requiring buffer zones and lie backs stopped this practice on the farm. These rules have added complication on a farm which puts soil health at the top of its agenda, which is unfortunate.
Oilseed rape
The oilseed rape was tall, but strong and had a full canopy. Auckland and Aviron were being grown. The view from these fields gave a real picture of the farm and its tall trees and hedgerows with insects and birds enjoying the flowering crops.
Oilseed rape was planted in August. Using the Green Area Index, N went to 120 units/ac, rather than 80 due to snow damage. Boron was applied twice, along with two applications of prothioconazole and Shepherd. Caryx was applied as a growth regulator.
Soil dependence
BASE Ireland has just received funding for a European Innovation Partnership Project. The funding will help BASE Ireland to carry out research, gather information and host farm walks and open days.
This year will see the group host its third annual open day called Soil Dependence on 4 July.
The event will take place on Michael and Norman Dunne’s farm in Maynooth, Co Kildare (W23V0H9). Neill Fuller, a soil specialist, will talk on the day. There will be compost demonstrations, machinery and trade stands and a soil pit, along with plenty of on-stage discussions. Rob will of course be there to share his experiences and listen and learn from others.
It was the last of the sunny days in May when the Irish Farmers Journal visited Coleman’s farm in Castlemagner, Co Cork, where Billy and his son Rob farm mainly tillage, with some cattle and sheep. Billy was out finishing the T2s on the winter wheat that day.
From the hill at the top of the farm, you can see Carrauntoohill to the southwest and Galtymore to the northeast on a clear day. The soil here is generally nice, loamy land, with some parts over sandstone having a bit more clay and the crops were looking wonderful.
The farm is mostly winter crops, along with spring oats. The winter crops were not as affected by the spring’s reduced rainfall levels, but the soil condition was helping with that as well.
Most of the cereal crops are first cereals after winter oilseed rape or winter beans with some after spring oats. There’s a good rotation. Farmyard manure is available to apply to the land and crops are min-tilled or direct-drilled.
The winter wheat was looking very clean for a crop that was sown in September.
The Colemans have two 6m drills and, as Rob says, they are over-mechanised in a way, but they need to be to get winter crops in for their system. With a minimum-tillage system comes early planting.
Sowing started around 23 September 2024 for barley and wheat. This can bring its own challenges for disease and grass weeds, but crops were not under high disease pressure.
The father and son duo work well together. After school Rob followed in his father’s tracks into car racing. He lined out and succeeded in Formula races, before heading to college to study material science.
He worked off farm and travelled before joining his father full-time on the farm in 2008. Rob’s sister Elaine keeps on top of the books from straw to grain sales.
Meeting Rob, it’s clear he likes a slightly slower pace of life among the peace of north Cork. The buzz of the bees is the closest he comes to the sound of the racetrack at present and he is clearly happy with that.
Rob is now the chair of BASE Ireland (Biodiversity Agriculture Soil Environment). BASE is a group of farmers often associated with cutting artificial inputs, no ploughing and a move away from what is considered conventional farming. However, BASE describes itself as a community of farmers committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of conservation agriculture.
The reader looking in at the Coleman’s farm will probably say they are good farmers. They’re doing the basics right and trying an odd thing to improve things on their farm. They are not what people expect to associate with BASE, which is something Rob probably wants to change in his time as chairperson.
Soil
Rob commented that Billy has always been out with a spade examining and looking after the soil. Livestock have always been on the farm and this helps with soil fertility. No artificial Ps or Ks are applied.
Neither are fans of insecticides and are a long time without them. The plough was put away in 2002, and made brief appearances in 2012 and 2023 when the weather wasn’t playing ball. There is no rule to say it won’t be used again.
Rob has been spraying off small patches of crops where Italian ryegrass is present to get the weed under control.
The farm has to make money and provide incomes. Minimum-tillage helps to reduce costs and speed up establishment, while also benefiting the soil, but if a plough is needed in a wet year to get a crop in then it can be taken out and rotations might be left intact.
What Rob gets from BASE looks to be the social outlet, sharing experiences, chatting about mistakes with other farmers and seeing if something that someone else is doing would work for them, but there won’t be a sudden switch to a technique on the farm or fungicides won’t be chopped out of the inputs list in an instant. That’s where BASE comes in. Members learn from each other’s experiences.
Once again, the farm has to make money and if you suddenly decide not to apply fungicide or take out aphicide without considering the consequences then your yields and profits can take a big hit. It’s important to try any changes in small areas and gradually build them up over time.
Winter barley
Winter barley was the first crop we looked at and in an early-sowing situation like this farm the barley yellow dwarf virus tolerant varieties have been a game changer. KWS Joyau and Integral are on the farm this year and were planted after winter beans. The crop was even and clean. It was up around 140 units of nitrogen (N)/ac.
All crops received a bag of ASN and 30 units of sulphur. The remainder of the nitrogen was applied in liquid form and in two passes of the sprayer. The Colemans have two tanks for the liquid N on the farm. The accuracy and evenness of spread are advantages of this product.
Winter beans
Winter beans were the next crop we saw and while they take some fighting with the crows most years, they are an important part of the rotation as they are harvested earlier than spring beans and allow a winter cereal to be planted early.
The winter beans were sown into a catch crop of oats which was still visible in parts in May.
The beans were really impressive looking. They were drilled in November to just under 3”. They went into a cover crop of oats which was sprayed off with glyphosate and some of the crop could still be seen on the soil surface. The crop had received one fungicide so far of Signum, along with nutrition in the form of Basfoliar. Statos Ultra was also applied for grass weeds and volunteer cereals. Along with the payment from Government the beans were touching 3t/ac last year, and aside from the profit, provide a yield benefit to the next crop and another option for grass weed control.
Italian ryegrass
Italian ryegrass is an issue on the farm and was visible in small amounts as we travelled, but what was more visible were the efforts to control it. Break crops are one of the first tactics to help control the weed. Pre-emergence herbicides are essential, while Rob also heads out with his knapsack to spray off patches of the crop where Italian ryegrass may be persisting in a small area or a headland.
This is the approach that has to be taken. Rob has also sent seeds to Teagasc to be tested and took part in the grass weeds project a few years ago. Every step is being taken to control the weed. Some will look at the early sowing date and suggest it should be pulled back, but all other tools are being used to control the weed.
When you’re driving around from field to field you notice the crops are blocked. There is a block of beans and a block of oilseed rape, etc. This means when it is time to cut this crop the machinery travels to that area and does not have to move until the job is done, to improve efficiency. Machinery can also be cleaned at the end of a block to prevent the spread of weeds.
Winter wheat
The wheat is on about 160 units of nitrogen. The first of the crops received Revystar at T1 and this was switched to Questar when disease pressure started to creep in. The opposite is being carried out for T2. The wheat received manganese with the CeCeCe early in the season. Magnesium was applied at T1 and T2, while potash was being applied at T2 and will be applied at T3.
Rob has also been growing some lactobacillus bacteria in IBC tanks. This will be applied at the T3 timing, which he hopes will help to prevent fusarium.
Rob Coleman in a field of oilseed rape on the family farm in Co Cork.
Catch crops and chopping straw
No artificial Ps or Ks are being applied on the farm. Farmyard manure, catch crops and grazing livestock have helped to build up the levels over time. All cereal straw is baled. The Colemans are surrounded by livestock farms and have plenty of markets. They bale the bean straw for their own bedding and oilseed rape is chopped.
Catch crops are grown on the farm where a winter cover is needed. The Colemans have sheep and previously bought store lambs over the winters, but the new grazing rules requiring buffer zones and lie backs stopped this practice on the farm. These rules have added complication on a farm which puts soil health at the top of its agenda, which is unfortunate.
Oilseed rape
The oilseed rape was tall, but strong and had a full canopy. Auckland and Aviron were being grown. The view from these fields gave a real picture of the farm and its tall trees and hedgerows with insects and birds enjoying the flowering crops.
Oilseed rape was planted in August. Using the Green Area Index, N went to 120 units/ac, rather than 80 due to snow damage. Boron was applied twice, along with two applications of prothioconazole and Shepherd. Caryx was applied as a growth regulator.
Soil dependence
BASE Ireland has just received funding for a European Innovation Partnership Project. The funding will help BASE Ireland to carry out research, gather information and host farm walks and open days.
This year will see the group host its third annual open day called Soil Dependence on 4 July.
The event will take place on Michael and Norman Dunne’s farm in Maynooth, Co Kildare (W23V0H9). Neill Fuller, a soil specialist, will talk on the day. There will be compost demonstrations, machinery and trade stands and a soil pit, along with plenty of on-stage discussions. Rob will of course be there to share his experiences and listen and learn from others.
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