The National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) has heard that “very little, if any” planting of spring crops has been done by tillage farmers due to the adverse weather.
Stan Lalor, director of knowledge transfer with Teagasc, said that a lot of areas are reporting “virtually zero planting” as soil conditions are preventing cultivation or crop establishment.
He said that in some limited parts of the country there is a maximum of 10-15% of planting being reported.
He added that farmers are looking at a minimum of a week of dry weather being needed on good soils, or two weeks on heavier ground, before planting and sowing can take place.
“You could say that mid-April looks like a best case scenario for a lot of crops in terms of establishment and that’s with a lot of pressure on workload,” Lalor said.
He added that any land that was harvested in late Autumn for maize, beet, potatoes and vegetables will take even longer before it will be ready for planting.
The committee heard that most winter crops have received some compound fertiliser, but some fields are too wet to travel. Spraying for weed and disease control has been very limited.
Spring crops
In relation to remaining options for crops, Lalor said that it is now too late for planting winter wheat.
Although it is getting late for planting spring wheat, beans and spring oats, Lalor said that given the conditions this year and a possible shortage of spring barley seed, these crops may still be an option for tillage farmers.
Over the coming weeks, he said that farmers could consider later planting options for beet, spring barley, oilseed rape, peas and maize.
Lalor noted that crops planted after mid-April are “higher risk crops”, while there can also be a challenging harvesting window later in the year and potentially lower yields.
The meeting heard that late sown crops can be badly impacted where is it followed by a short or moderate drought in May or June, leading to 3-4t/ha reduction in yield.
Lalor said that keeping options open to planting a range of crops remains important based on potential seed supply, crop rotation and to spread workload.
He offered the following advice to tillage farmers over the coming days:
- Review cropping plan based on ongoing assessment of likely cultivation opportunities and considering subsequent workload and harvest impact;
- Consider crop margin and explore other cropping options, including contracted forage crops where possible;
- Secure a source of seed and fertiliser based on planned crops if not already in place.