The continuing mild weather has encouraged crop growth, but it also brings the spectre of disease pressure within winter cereal crops.
According to Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan, above normal temperatures in most areas have cereal crops continuing to grow quite rapidly.
“They are dense and more forward than normal for this time of year. We have seen this before, and when crops are this advanced in mild conditions, diseases start to appear.
“This year, net blotch is evident in a few early drilled barley crops, and this will have to be closely monitored during early spring.
“A few years ago, we saw crops that had fairly high levels of mildew in December and January. Some growers sprayed fungicides in January and others didn’t.
“Treatment now or early in the new year will not pay, as these leaves will not contribute to yield,” he said.
Growers should continue to monitor crops for pest damage, such as from slugs. But, again, in most cases, there are enough tillers and leaves to survive most attacks.
Disease pressure
The Teagasc representative also pointed out that oilseed rape (OSR) crops are also very forward, and in many cases quite tall.
“This should help to ensure that pigeon grazing will be limited.
“But where they start to graze, every effort must be made over the coming months to scare them off, as they will remove valuable nitrogen, which is stored in the leaves.
“Some crops are still to receive herbicides for weed control.”
So, growers should inspect the crop first and establish how much contact the herbicide will have with the weeds before applying.
“Kerb or Astrokerb can be applied to crops as temperatures drop. However, rape straw cannot be baled after the application of Astrokerb,” Phelan added,
Meanwhile, temperatures are set to plummet across Ireland over the coming days.
Met Éireann is forecasting that cold conditions will kick-in as next weekend approaches.
At that stage, it will become very cold, largely dry and bright for the following few days with widespread frosts developing during the nights.
These will be stubborn to clear some areas during the days. There will be well scattered wintry showers too, mainly in northern and some western parts.
Some fog and freezing fog will develop by night too, slow to clear by day.
The return to colder weather will relieve the slug pressure on many crops. It will also ensure that winter cereals fully switch from their vegetative to reproductive growth phases.