Autumn planting will be delayed again this year as many fields are close to saturation point as a result of recent heavy rain, according to the latest crop report published by Teagasc.
It has also recommended that it is important to choose cereal varieties from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) recommended lists.
According to Teagasc this approach ensures reliability of varieties that have been tested in Irish conditions for a minimum of three years.
Growers should also use thousand grain weight printed on the bag to calculate seed rates.
Crop
Teagasc tillage specialists have also outlined that pre-emergence herbicides in wheat and barley will give the most reliable control of weeds for your crop.
This is particularly important where grass weeds are concerned and it is recommended that this approach is also the most cost-effective method of weed control in wheat and barley.
Pre-emergence herbicide also reduces the need for post-emergence options where herbicide resistance is most likely to occur.
Early sown crops are at most risk of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). Growers should assess the risk and apply a pyrethoid insecticide at the two to three leaf leaf stage, if required.
Winter oilseed rape
Early drilled crops are growing well at the moment. However, later planted crops are only at the two to four true-leaf stage.
It is also worth bearing in mind that slug damage has been reported in some crops while volunteer cereals are growing strongly and will need to be controlled.
There are no reports of cabbage-stem flea beetle damage.
But growers should note that a crop that has not received a pre-emergence herbicide will need some weed control in the coming weeks. Herbicide choice will depend on the weed spectrum.
Some growers, however, will wait until December to apply Astrokerb, while others will need to control volunteer cereals with a graminicide e.g Falcon. This approach may well include a tank partner like Belkar and a fungicide.
Phoma and Light Leaf Spot will be the big disease challenges this autumn within crops of winter oilseed rape.
Potatoes
Digging to fill stores is a bit away yet as growers wait for the early desiccated crops to be ready and soil conditions to improve after the recent very wet weather.
Some met stations have recorded over 60mm of rain in the past week which will make conditions very sticky.
Most potato crops have received their first and possibly second application of whichever desiccant combination – Spotlight Plus, Gozai or Reglone – they use.
In most cases these have been slow to act, given the cloudy weather over the last few weeks, with the exception of crops which received the 0.75L/ha of Reglone which has helped.
Growers should be mindful of the fact that the total rate of both Gozai and Spotlight Plus is 1.6L/ha including any that was applied in the spring as a herbicide.
Both Gozai and Spotlight will be slow acting in the current weather. In previous years it has taken up to six weeks for full desiccation to be achieved.