I would like to offer my heartiest congratulations to the members of the Irish ploughing team; they have made the country proud.
Their tremendous performances at last weekend’s European Ploughing Championships speak volumes of their skill and commitment to what is a unique art form.
The Co. Derry site used for the event was a fair test for everyone involved. And, of course, right on cue, down came rain.
Ploughing
Ploughing goes to the very heart of all that is good about Irish agriculture. Turning the sod has all the symbolism associated with making a fresh start and preparing for a better, brighter future.
And, of course, autumn is now with us. The coming months will see local ploughing associations hosting their annual events right across this island.
For those who espouse the rural way of life, a day-out at a ploughing match is a true highlight of their year.
These are events that cater for all tastes. For those who like modern machinery, there’s plenty to see. And, of course, the horse ploughing classes take us back to a time when the pace of change within Irish agriculture wasn’t as fast as is the case today.
It often struck me that if ploughing could be made an Olympic sport, Ireland would be guaranteed a bagful of medals at every games; we’re just that good at it.
And, of course, ploughing has a key role to play within Irish agriculture, as the industry looks to the future.
Tillage
I know that many tillage farmers are seeking to use min- and zero-till crop establishment options as they seek to reduce their costs and the overall carbon footprint of their businesses.
But I would argue strongly that it is the adoption of such practices that has added to the use of herbicides as a mainstream weed control option.
In turn, this has helped create the nightmare scenario of resistant blackgrass, sterile brome and Italian ryegrass infestations on tillage ground that are beyond the scope of chemical control.
And it is in this context that traditional ploughing must be seen, once again, as a ‘Plan A’ control mechanism.
It’s a very simple theory – if a problem is buried deeply enough, it tends not to rear its head in the future.
The week after next sees Ratheniska in Co. Laois hosting the 2022 National and World Ploughing Championships.
With all the fancy new machinery on display and the critically important messages that the many exhibitors will want to communicate, it would be easy for visitors to overlook the fundamental fact that the event is based around an actual ploughing match.
So let me take the opportunity of urging all those heading for Ratheniska to take some time out and visit the actual ploughing plots.
And don’t forget to bring the children along – they will love it.