Richard Halleron

1 week ago | agriland.ie | Richard Halleron

There is little doubt that the rain showers of recent days will have enhanced the growth rates of all spring crops. According to Teagasc, the sowing of wheat, oats and beans is now almost complete, given the favourable weather in March. This just leaves the drilling of some spring barley in later areas. It’s a case of increasing barley seed rate as crops are drilled into April; growers should aim to sow approximately 350 seeds to establish 300 plants.

1 week ago | agriland.ie | Richard Halleron

This is the time when management steps taken by tillage farmers will determine the disease status of winter wheat crops. According to Teagasc, winter wheat needs that little bit of extra attention now in order to build a big and disease-free canopy. If this can be achieved, it means that the maximum amount of ambient light will be captured by the growing plants. Some 80% of the final yield generated by wheat crops comes from the top half of the canopy.

1 week ago | agriland.ie | Richard Halleron

Cereal growers in the northwest have confirmed that both winter and spring cereals have enjoyed a very positive start. Mark McCollum, who farms close to the town of Limavady in Co. Derry, said: “I have just finished drilling spring barley crops into almost perfect seed beds. And winter crops are also looking tremendously well at the present time.

1 week ago | agriland.ie | Richard Halleron

Irish agriculture can look forward to a very bright future, one that will see sustainable farm gate prices being maintained as a reality. This was the key take-home message emanating from the recent Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) annual conference. Food prices in the UK are likely to increase by at least 5% per year over the coming years. And while this is happening, the UK’s population is set to increase by 1.5% into the future.

1 week ago | farminglife.com | Richard Halleron

“It really is a day and night scenario,” Templepatrick-based David Gibson further explained. “Using low emission slurry spreading equipment is the future. But the downside to a standard dribble bar is the accumulation of slurry solid strips along the field. “In most situations, these do not get an opportunity to wash down to the bottom of the swards.