The Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA) has confirmed that significant progress has been made in securing spring cereal seed supply for 2024.
ISTA president, Tim O’Donovan said: “Members of ISTA have, along with our own native production, managed to secure enough spring seed to achieve last year’s spring crop area.
“This allocation includes a small quantity of native Higher Voluntary Standard [HVS] Certified Seed, which meets germination of less stringent requirements under a derogation.
“This will be clearly visible on the bag to allow for slightly higher seeding rate where advisable. It also includes some imported spring barley seed.
“Including the derogated seed and imports secured by members, the industry can meet last year’s area so far,” Donovan said.
Availability of seed
The ISTA president said that there is so far nothing in stock to replace the unsown areas of winter seed which are estimated to be currently in the region of 25,000ha.
Where this issue is concerned, ISTA is strongly urging tillage farmers, where feasible, to continue to sow winter crops right through to the middle and, possibly, the end of February.
“There is plenty of winter seed available at significantly lower cost than imports and with higher yield potential, this seed is Irish HVS certified seed,” O’Donovan continued.
Trials carried out by Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), have confirmed that bona fide winter wheat varieties can be sown-out successfully through to the middle of February.
Teagasc and DAFM variety trials have shown that winter wheat varieties can be successfully sown up to mid-February. However there are a few important points to consider.
Yield will be closer to spring wheat rather than winter wheat. Seed rate should be similar to spring wheat.
Vernalisation is not an issue for winter wheat varieties sown up to mid-February. But harvest date will be later than spring wheat.
Graham is a more suitable variety than KWS Dawsum as it is earlier maturing. In addition, crop inputs need to be tailored based on expected yield, especially nitrogen. And winter wheat varieties should not be planted in March.
Bogus offers
ISTA is also advising growers to be aware of, and to let the organisation know about, any bogus, offers of seed made to them.
“If seed has not gone through the certification process it cannot be marketed or traded,” O’Donovan stressed.
“Some farmers are open to ‘too-good-to-be-true’ offers or are simply unaware to look for the certification label.
“Illegal seed is likely in the current year to have low germination and high disease levels, with some farmer samples testing as low as 50% germination.
“It is likely also to contain seeds of weeds or other species. Any farmer using home-saved seed must declare its use to the Plant Variety Development Office and pay royalties due on it under Protection of Plant Variety Rights legislation.”
O’Donovan has also confirmed that imported spring barley seed will contain a mix of both feed and malting varieties.