The Tillage Edge

We re-join the conversation with Jim McCarthy, who farms an extensive holding in north-eastern Romania, as Jim walks us through recent changes on the farm, most notably his move away from the big-name manufacturers toward more affordable South American machinery to reduce costs.
 
He also discusses the wider crisis facing Romanian agriculture after three severe droughts: bankruptcies among local suppliers, a tightening of credit for farmers, and many crops that have not yet received fertiliser this season.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Michael McCarthy, a Teagasc tillage advisor, and Tom Barry, a farmer near Mallow, Cork, discuss how crops in their area are progressing. 
 
This spring brought three distinct planting windows and Michael is concerned about the later two as emergence is only ok and there is visible damage on the headlands, so those fields will need close monitoring.
 
Tom reports his winter crops are looking well and he’s up to date with fertiliser and spraying operations. 
 
He’s used organic slurries for several years and says the improved soil resilience is helping crops cope in a challenging season.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Jim McCarthy, who is farming a large tract of land in Romania, joins this week’s Tillage Edge to talk about the progress on his farm over the past few months.  
Jim talks about the changes in establishment system and how this is helping maintain yields by trapping more moisture and allowing him to reduce fertiliser inputs.  
However, Jim remains cautious about the outlook for prices and expresses concern about overall costs rising and eroding profitability of the sector.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Weed control is becoming more difficult with herbicide resistance of one or more weeds now on most farms.  For this episode of The Tillage Edge, Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, Tillage Specialists at Teagasc, explain how to get good weed control in spring cereals, even where resistance is an issue. 
 
Shay says that sequencing weed control around wild oats can be effective in ensuring good control of all weeds while Ciaran says that tank mixing of a number of products in the same tank is possible, with some care, but he emphasises a strong growing plant is key to minimising damage to the plant. 
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Dr. Louise McNamara, a researcher with Teagasc, is on this week’s Tillage Edge to talk about the threat posed by aphids and, consequently, BYDV this season. 
 
Louise explains that the thresholds, or triggers for action, are similar to previous years, although ongoing research is expected to refine these in the future.
 
She highlights that crops emerging after mid-April are at greatest risk, while noting that location can also play an important role. 
 
Aphicide resistance is an important consideration, but pyrethroid insecticides are still providing effective control.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com