Tillage
The weather over the next few days will determine if tillage farmers in Northern Ireland will further commit to the autumn planting season
Irish tillage incomes are set to come under yet further pressure in 2026. This will be due to a combination of factors
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) is a key challenge for cereal growers, one that has both weather and geography-related themes.
Tillage News
Co. Down cereal grower Allan Chambers will not be applying bagged phosphate (P) and potash (K) to his winter cereal crops in 2023.
Barley yellow dwarf virus can reduce yield by up to 2t/ha in cereal crops.
Aphid numbers rose slightly into the new year, but are much lower than the same time last year. Teagasc carried out a count on January 2.
Aphid counts for the third week of November dropped to 7.6/m², from 4.1/m² the week before. These counts were taken in Teagasc Oak Park.
Aphid numbers have dropped back from their high at the end of October. Numbers at Teagasc reached 25.6 aphids/m² in the fourth week of October
Aphid numbers are low this October. Counts from unsprayed winter barley in Teagasc Oak Park have been ongoing since the start of the month.
Spring barley crops are at many different stages across the country. Some are only receiving first fungicides, while awns are peeping and heads are fully out on some.
Aphid numbers dropped in the last week of April. An average of just 4.1 aphids/m² were counted on April 25.
Aphids numbers are significantly lower than this time last year, according to weekly aphid counts carried out by Teagasc.
Decisions made on tillage farms in the coming weeks will have a big impact on next year's harvest, according to Teagasc's Shay Phelan.
