1. Healthcare

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Teagasc
Advisory
Newsletter
Tillage
February 2015
Applying for Basic Payments Scheme
and Greening
Edited by
Tim O’Donovan and
Michael Hennessy,
Tillage Specialists
Farmers who need to comply with
Greening rules must apply online
for the Basic Payment Scheme
(formerly the Single Farm Payment
[SFP]). The process to set yourself
up online is not very difficult.
n Open your internet browser and
log on to www.agfood.ie.
n On this page, click onto
“Register for online services”.
n Once you have entered your
details, the Department of
Agriculture, Food and the
Marine (DAFM) will verify your
information and send you out a
letter with details for full access.
What information can you
get online?
Logging in to your account will
give you details of all the previous
SFP applications, all
correspondences, maps, etc.
In this
edition
n Applying online
for payments
n Winter crops
The system will allow you to adjust maps
as necessary.
The system will allow you to view
how Greening might affect your
farm, i.e., crop diversification (the
number and ratio of crops) and also
how much Ecologial Focus Area
(EFA) you have. The system will
allow you to adjust maps and
add/delete hedges or drains (see
picture). Teagasc strongly advises all
growers to register and interact
with the online system.
n Markets
n Organic manures
n Soil health
n Crop budgets
n Dates for the diary
n Spring beans
n Cereal varieties
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TILLAGE
Winter crops
The autumn of 2014 was very mild, but it was
wet through December and January.
Establishment was excellent and all crops have
tillered well. Winter barley grew strongly over the
autumn and may be quite advanced by late
February. Preliminary results from recent nitrogen
(N) application research in winter barley show
that in the past two seasons there was no
advantage, or disadvantage, to applying N earlier
than the traditional timing of early to mid March.
This gives growers a wide window in which to
apply the first N. The research did show that
applying a higher proportion of N in the first
split gave reduced yields, largely due to reduced
recovery of the fertiliser by the crop. It is advised
that not more than approximately 30% of the
total amount of N be applied in the first split.
However, for very advanced crops that have
reached GS 30 by late February, it may be
prudent to apply N as soon as growth resumes
to avoid N deficiency. Again, the amount applied
should not be excessive to avoid increasing the
risk of lodging.
Action: Where applying N before the end of
February, restrict the application rate to
approximately 30% of the total. If the weather
is cold and no growth is expected, target to
apply the first split of N by mid March.
Latent (and some active) mildew, rhyncho and
net blotch are evident in most crops. These may
pose an increased threat earlier than normal, if
weather conditions suit. Where mild conditions
prevail in late February and disease is active,
consider applying a fungicide. Consult your
adviser before applying this fungicide.
Many winter wheat crops are showing high
levels of active septoria this year and this may
make the start of the disease control programme
more difficult than usual. However, fungicides
should not be applied until March. Generally
delay N inputs onto wheat until close to the
middle of March.
Oilseed rape
Oilseed rape has come through the winter well
with very few reports of excessive pigeon grazing.
Many crops have big canopies with a Green Area
Index (GAI) of up to three. Assess your canopy size
using a GAI tool on a smartphone in mid February.
n Delay the first N application to canopies that
are >1 until March.
n Apply N to crops (or parts of crops) with a GAI
of <1 in mid to late February.
n Light leaf spot (LLS) was the most prominent
disease in oilseed rape in 2014. Crops were
stunted in many cases due to early infection
(January/February). Recent samples from Oak
Park indicate an increase in disease levels and
all crops should be checked immediately.
n Collect 30-40 leaves through the crop and
place in a plastic bag at 10-15oC for four to
five days. This encourages sporulation so the
disease can be seen on the plant. The
threshold for spraying is when >15% of plants
have symptoms.
Collect 30-40 leaves through the crop and place in a plastic
o
bag at 10-15 C for four to five days. This encourages
sporulation of LLS so the disease can be seen on the plant.
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FEBRUARY 2015
Markets
Cereal prices rebounded from the lows during
harvest but have weakened in the past few
weeks. Irish traders are reporting that despite
the relatively strong international markets
there are few Irish buyers of native grains in
the early part of the year. The EU publication
Strategie Grains, published in mid January,
states that forecasts for wheat are better than
expected due to higher exports; however, they
are forecasting the prospects for 2015/16 as
Organic manures
One thousand gallons of pig slurry is equivalent
to a bag/ac of 19–7–20 and can add other soil
benefits such as increased soil organic matter
and improved micronutrient levels. Target
organic manures on low fertility sites first.
To maximise the nutrient value of organic
fertilisers and reduce nitrogen (N) losses, it is
essential to consider the following:
n ensure thatslurry is well agitated before
application;
n apply evenly and accurately at 2,000
gallons/ac;
n incorporate within four to six hours to
maximise N recovery; and,
n 2,000 gallons/ac of pig slurry can reduce
fertiliser cost by €50/ac.
heavy, with increased stocks compared to last
year. The publication predicts that barley is
heavy, with higher stocks and reduced
consumption likely to weigh on prices.
Forward prices for grain (Nov. 15) have
remained relatively steady and represent an
opportunity for growers who are aware of
their costs. In general, don’t over commit and
it is prudent not to sell forward more than half
of your expected production.
Soil health and
fertilisers
If you don’t have a current soil analysis
(completed within the last five years) then resample these fields immediately. Also, where a
section of a field is preforming poorly, sample
this area, as a deficiency can be masked
within a whole field sample.
Crop budgets 2015
The Teagasc Costs and Returns 2015 is available
online at www.teagasc.ie or from local Teagasc
offices, but remember your own figures could
vary by €80/ac above or below Teagasc
estimates depending on your situation.
Dates for your diary
Spring seminars
Winter cereal walks
Spring seminars are continuing in February in
Kilkenny, Offaly, Kerry, Kildare, Tipperary, Galway,
Donegal and Wicklow. Among the topics
covered this year are Greening, Young Farmers,
GLAS, beans and current crop management.
Contact your local office for details.
Regional field crop walks will be held in Carlow,
Meath, Kilkenny, Wexford, Offaly and Cork from
February 11. Current crop management will be
discussed including fertilisation of oilseed rape
and cereals, disease control in winter wheat and
barley, etc. Contact your local office for details.
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TILLAGE
Spring beans
The recent CAP reform proposals included a
protein crop subsidy of €250/ha and show a
similar margin to spring barley in the Teagasc
Cost and Returns 2015. Beans can be sown from
now on and ideally before March 1. Sow to a
depth of at least 7.5cm (3”) or greater to avoid
excessive crow damage. The main variety
available this year is Fuego, while Fury has also
proven to be reliable in DAFM trials.
The seeding rate in Table 1 is to achieve 30
seeds/m2 at 550 TGW. *Take note of the TGW
on the seed lot as TGW can vary from 480-600.
Weed control
Use Nirvana at 3.0-4.5L/ha for weed control in
beans. It is a pre-emergence spray, which must
be applied before the beans are within 13mm of
the soil surface. Apply (pre-emerge) Lingo
1.75L/ha plus Nirvana 3.0L/ha (or add 800g
ai/ha PDM – off label recommendation so check
product before use). A fine seedbed is
recommended as with all soil residual herbicides.
Table 1: Bean variety info 2015 (PGRO UK list 2015)
Variety
Standing
Shortness
Downey
ability
of straw
mildew
seeding rate
99
8
6
5
195kg/ha*
Fury
101
7
7
6
195kg/ha*
Boxer
102
8
6
4
195kg/ha*
Fuego
Yield
Suggested
Spring wheat varieties
There are two new additions to the DAFM
Recommended List this year. Spring wheat can
be sown from February (in good conditions) up
to mid-late March. Early sowing in good
conditions will give the crop the best possible
start and can result in higher yields.
Variety
Relative yield
Septoria
Mildew
Seed rate stone/ac+
Sparrow
101
6
6
11.4
Trappe
99
6
5
10.5
RGT Doubleshot
107
(6)
(5)
11.2
Qunitus
109
(6)
(8)
11.7
+Based on a target of 325 plants/m2 and 85% germination
For further information on any issues raised in this newsletter, or to access other
enterprise newsletters, please contact your local Teagasc adviser or see www.teagasc.ie.
Produced by Think Media.
Table 2: Spring wheat varieties