Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan, has confirmed the very high yield potential of winter cereal crops sown out over recent weeks.
Crops are looking tremendously well at the present time. The recent spell of mild weather has encouraged tremendous growth rates.
“What a difference 12 months can make. This time last year, growers were looking at fields with significant proportions of bare patches,” Phelan said.
Today, in contrast, fields are crop heavy and demonstrating great potential for the future.
“But it is still very early in the 2024/2025 growing season. It’s a case now of waiting to see how crops come out of the winter that lies ahead,” he added.
Yield potential
Where field work is concerned, the Teagasc representative indicated that a number of winter oilseed rape growers will take the opportunity to get on with weed control measures in their crops over the coming days.
“The warmer than average temperatures in October and November has meant that crops have continued to grow and canopies are bigger now than normal, especially in the early-sown crops.
“Most have received fungicides and herbicides to date, however, there are a number of crops where growers have not put on any broadleaf herbicides yet, or are looking to control blackgrass,” Phelan said.
Growers in this position are going to use “Kerb Flo/Barclay Propyz or Astrokerb in the coming days and weeks”, according to the tillage specialist.
“Both will give good grass weed control including blackgrass, as so far we have not seen any resistance populations to the propyzamide.
“The application Rate for Kerb Flo is 1.75-2.1 L/ha and 1.5-1.7 l/ha for Astrokerb. Growers should use the higher rates where blackgrass is an issue or where weeds are strong.
“Where crops are sprayed with AstroKerb, the rape straw must be chopped,” he continued.
All harvesting operations for 2024 have now been completed. Later sown bean crops came in at an average of 2t/ac at around 20% moisture.
The protein aid payment will determine how these crops fared financially. Meanwhile, the 2024 potato harvest is now completely wrapped up.
Planning ahead will be the priority for tillage farmers over the coming weeks.
“With the autumn planting work now finished, growers can start working through their rotation priorities for 2025.
“Now is also a good time of the year to have ground soil tested,” Phelan said.