Author: George Blackburn 2022 will live long in the memory of tillage farmers. Coming off the back of a good year in 2021, the spring was fraught with trepidation given the massive increase in fertiliser prices and energy prices in general. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine changed the game completely. With one of […]
Author: Jack Scallan It has been well documented over the last few months that grass quantity and quality were well below target levels, which meant that stock had to be supplemented with silage etc., during the later summer months. It is therefore no surprise that silage quantity and quality are very variable this year. Any […]
Author: Jimmy Staples Cover crops are a fundamental element of any sustainable arable farm and provide many benefits to both our soils and wider farming enterprises. These benefits include but are not limited to improving soil health, preventing soil erosion, combating weeds, increasing soil water infiltration and availability, mopping up nutrients, helping to break pest […]
Author: Philip Kennedy With the increased cost of chemical fertilisers, coupled with increased spreading restrictions into 2023, now is a perfect time to get organised and take up-to-date soil samples. All arable land sown from January 1, 2023, must have an up-to-date soil sample available (within 3 years). The soil sample results combined with previous […]
The growing season of 2021/2022 will live long in the memory of cereal growers. Coming off the back of the best harvest in a generation in 2021 where we had the magic mix of yield, price and weather, much needed faith was restored into our sector. All stakeholders were filled with a renewed sense of […]
Author: Philip Kennedy After second cut silage presents an ideal opportunity to control docks and chickweed in grassland. Weeds are soft and growthy after recent fertiliser applications and rain. An actively growing weed takes in chemicals a lot more efficiently, which will help achieve great weed control. Outlined below are various solutions to control […]
Author: Jimmy Staples Unfortunately, there is no room for a holiday when it comes to controlling grass weeds as one slip-up can lead to large quantities of seed being introduced back into the seed bank and undoing a lot of the good work that has already been done during the growing season. There are […]
Author: Jack Scallan The last twelve months have seen many unprecedented changes in agriculture, both globally and domestically. The dairy industry did not escape these changes. There has been a major reduction in milk production globally due to mainly grain/feed and fertiliser prices which have increased exponentially over the last 18 months, while global […]
Author: George Blackburn As we move into the second half of February and look towards the beginning of March, our attention must first focus on the winter crops in the ground from autumn 2021. Key management decisions regarding fertiliser and growth regulation in the early stages of spring can have a major bearing on […]
Author: Jimmy Staples Over the last decade, it has become increasingly difficult to manage some of the pests that we were previously able to control comfortably with plant protection products. This can be attributed to: The loss of key active ingredients due to de-registration A lack of new active ingredients coming onto the market […]
