Autumn planting season at tipping point in Northern Ireland - agronomist
The weather over the next few days will determine if tillage farmers in Northern Ireland will further commit to the autumn planting season, according to agronomist Richard Owens.
He told Agriland: “Where marginal ground is concerned, all growers have called a halt to all planting activity.
“However, if the weather was to stay dry over the coming days they might push ahead on good land that had not been badly affected by the recent rains.”
Autumn sown crops
He noted that most barley crops sown out in September are presently "looking very well".
“But it’s very much a case of matters going downhill from that point onwards," he said.
"Germination rates in some October-drilled wheat crops have been moderate, particularly in those locations where heavy soils predominate.
“However, a few days of dry weather could turn this around. The prospect of air temperatures rising this week will help all autumn sown cereal crops.”
Meanwhile, arable farmers across Northern Ireland remain downbeat with regard to the prospects for their sector.
Owens said: “Given the projections for world cereal prices over the coming months, arable margins will remain challenging for the 2025/26 season.
“As a result, growers are not investing heavily in their businesses at the present time.
“For example, I am not sensing any additional commitment to the planting of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) tolerant barley varieties in 2025 above and beyond that seen last year.
The agronomist noted that there has been a slight increase in the area of hybrid rye planted over recent weeks.
“In my opinion, rye has significant potential, particularly on those farms where it can be grown for grain or as a wholecrop forage," he said.
“It has a relatively low fertiliser requirement and is pretty resistant to Take-All.”
With the rise in temperatures expected over the coming days comes the enhanced risk of BYDV impacting on all newly sown cereal crops.
“Growers should walk their crops in order to assess aphid numbers,” Owens recommended.
Weather forecast
Significantly, Met Éireann is predicting changeable weather for the rest of the week and the weekend with rain at times.
With winds coming for the south-east, temperatures will be above normal, reaching 16°C on occasions.
Beyond this, low pressure is forecast to predominate, with wetter conditions than normal expected to impact across the country.
However, air temperatures are expected to fall back to more normal levels.
