Harvest: Harvest continues with many now coming to the end of the cereal harvest. However, there are nice amounts of spring cereals to be harvested on some farms and in the northeast and northwest in particular. Beans have even been harvested and many bean crops are likely to be cut in the coming days, but many have reported poor yields. The high temperatures of this week will most likely bring further away crops in even faster.

Oilseed rape: Many farmers are thinking of growing oilseed rape. Growers got on well with the crop last year. However, soil moisture is an issue. There is rain in the forecast, but significant rain is needed for a good seedbed, germination and conditions for spraying pre-emergence herbicides. Soil moisture deficits range from around 60-90mm in the main tillage growing regions, with the exception of the northwest, where it is only around 2mm. For more on oilseed rape check out this week’s tillage pages. Sowing can be delayed into September.

Catch crops: As soon as straw is cleared and land is in suitable order to cultivate then try and get your catch crops in. Keep brassica crops like rape, turnips and mustard out of rotations which contain oilseed rape to avoid club root. On last week’s Tillage Podcast we had Dave Barry of Goldcrop talk about catch crops and forage crops. It’s well worth a listen back. He emphasised the work invested in higher voluntary standard seed. Dave recommended 5-7kg/ha of Solubor for beet crops once the rain comes and growth is set to increase. A fungicide can also be applied at this time.

Grass weed testing: This year is the last year that farmers will be able to send their weed samples for free herbicide resistance testing without a referral. If you suspect herbicide resistance in grass or broadleaved weeds, you should allow some of those weeds to go to seed. Collect the seed once it is ripe and send it for herbicide-resistance testing. There may still be weed seeds in unharvested fields or in the hedges or grass margins of fields after harvest. You will need to collect a cup or two of smaller seeds like broadleaved weeds, blackgrass, Italian ryegrass and annual meadow grass. Bigger weed seeds like brome and wild oats will require more seed – one to two-pint glasses. Send dry seeds in a paper envelope with your details to: Vijaya Bhaskar, Teagasc Oak Park Crops Research Centre, Carlow, R93 XE12, or deliver by hand to Teagasc Oak Park main reception.

Stubble cultivation: You do not need to cultivate stubbles of any crops this year within a set amount of time to meet nitrates regulations. The stubble cultivation requirements to shallow cultivate stubbles within 14 days of harvest were removed under the review of the nitrates directive. You do, however, need to have a green cover on land which is not planted to a winter crop over the winter period. Stubble cultivation will still be needed to create stale seedbeds for weed control as well. However, you don’t need to be burning diesel and wearing metal on dry land to meet stubble cultivation rules.