'Almost no' spring crops planted - report update

There has been “almost no” spring crops planted according to Teagasc, with only the driest ground supporting field work to-date.

The latest crop report from Teagasc details that it is estimated that approximately 10 to 15% of ground has been planted around places like Athy in Co. Kildare.

It has advised that ‘dry’ ground will need at least one dry week before planting could occur.

However, wetter ground will probably be needing two weeks and that mid-April is probably the “best case scenario” for these locations at this stage.

Teagasc

According to Teagasc, land which had been late harvested last year and following crops such as maize, beet, potatoes and vegetables will need substantially longer to dry out before planting can commence.

Looking ahead, farmers and the broader industry are understandably worried about planting these crops so that the overall area of tillage crops can be maximised in 2024.

But, there are a number of areas to be considered when deciding to plant different crops this year.

One of these is the need to secure agreed market outlets before committing to the likes of maize and beet before planting gets underway.

Winter wheat

Evidence so far suggests many crops are struggling at the moment especially in heavy land where the first application of a compound fertiliser has only been applied in recent days.

Septoria is present on lower leaves of many crops. Meanwhile, weed control is still to be completed in many locations.

Plant growth regulator (PGR) options for winter wheat include the use of Moddus (0.2 L/ha)/Meddax Max (0.2-0.3 Kg/ha)+ CCC 1.0 L/ha mix at growth stage (GS) 30. This approach will help to strengthen the base of the crop.

This application can then be topped up with a further application of a PGR at GS 31. The split application will reduce the risk of not getting the full benefit of the products if the conditions at either timing are less than ideal.

CCC products work best at temperatures above 8^oC so the addition of the other products will help especially if crops remain ahead of normal.

The addition of an adjuvant will also help the activity of CCC products.

Growers should check labels for latest timings on crops as many CCC based products have a latest timing of GS 32

PGRs should not be applied to crops that are under stress. In addition, growers should avoid applying these products when there are large swings (8-10°C) between day and night time temperatures.

Winter oilseed rape

Foliar nitrogen (N) can be an option for oilseed rape. However, crop canopies should be carefully assessed beforehand – only target crops with high yield potential.

Foliar N can be applied from the start of flowering. Mixing solid urea in water can be used to achieve the required solution.

A black plastic tank full of water in warm sunshine will increase the water temperature thus helping to dissolve the urea.

Trials carried out by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) in the UK have identified a number of trends where the use of foliar N on oilseed rape crops are concerned.

On average, foliar N applied at 40 kg N/ha increased yield by 0.3 t/ha (0 to 0.6 t/ha). However, field losses of 0.75t/ha recorded when applied in hot conditions

Growers should Apply when temperature is less than 19°C.

Larger yield increases tended to occur following sub-optimal rates of solid N. Significantly, foliar N reduced oil content by 0.7%.

Many winter oilseed rape crops are now at the start of flowering. As a consequence, it is too late for many treatments be it herbicides, PGRs or light leaf spot control. However, pollen beetle risk should cease now that crops have started to flower.