Winter cereal planting levels are down by an estimated 40%, year-on-year, according to Seedtech technical director, Dr. Tim O’Donovan.
“This is an estimate, covering winter barley, winter wheat and oats,” he explained.
Reflecting on the cereal year that was 2022/2023, O’Donovan confirmed the impact of drought-related stress conditions within crops of both spring and winter barley around early June.
“At that stage the crops had stopped growth,” he said. “Yes, they did kick back into life with the rain that followed in July. But by that stage, it was too late in terms of maximising yields.
“However, had this scenario unfolded a month later, we would probably have been looking at a significantly better yield situation for the harvest that was 2023.”
Winter cereal
O’ Donovan spoke at the recent AgriCare tillage conference in Donegal. He confirmed that there will be a shortage in home-grown spring barley seed in 2024.
“This will primarily affect feed barley varieties,” he continued.
“As a result, farmers may find themselves importing growing varieties that they are not familiar with.
“However, the Irish Seed Trade Association will re-test all imported seed to ensure it is free of blackgrass, canary grass, wild oat and brome contamination.
“It is also Irish government policy to adopt a zero tolerance approach where these matters are concerned,” he added.
Tillage
Turning to the issue of future support for the tillage industry, O’Donovan fully endorsed the principle of crop insurance.
“It is an approach that has worked well in the United States. So, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work in Europe,” he stated.
O’Donovan pointed to the role that plant breeding will play in delivering a sustainable future for tillage farmers.
He specifically referenced the development of cereal varieties that are Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) tolerant, adding: “This is already a reality, where barley is concerned. It will shortly be the case for wheat and other cereals.
“This development work was kick-started on the back of the European Commission’s decision to ban neonicotinoid insecticide seed dressings some years ago. And it has borne fruit.”
Seedtech is currently offering two BYDV tolerant barley varieties: Joyau and Orcade.
“BYDV tolerant varieties can still be infected by the associated virus; they just don’t suffer yield or quality effects,” O’Donovan said.
“Full resistance however, relates to crops that act to deter the virus attacking them in the first place. Getting to that stage is still a number of years off.”
According to the Seedtech representative, only a small proportion of the greenfly (aphid) populations you see in fields actually host the BYDV virus.