In the past week or so the Government's Agri-Food Strategy 2030 called for 10% of utilised agricultural area to be dedicated to biodiversity so it’s an appropriate time to speak to tillage farmer Ger O’Meara who has 10 different crops growing on his farm near Cahir, Co Tipperary.
So far Arable April has highlighted the many positives of the tillage sector in Ireland and implementing a good crop rotation is just one of the many measures the O’Mearas take to make the family farm more sustainable.
Variety
Among the crops on the O'Meara farm are winter rape, winter rye, winter barley, winter oats, winter wheat, spring beans, spring barley, spring oats, fodder beet and grass.
The family also finish cattle and keep fodder beet and rye to use as part of the ration.
“I’ll keep some rye myself. I kept some rye in the year gone by and I do intend to keep it again this year. I would traditionally have kept winter barley and I think it has the edge on it,” says Ger, who has his fodder beet planted almost three weeks now.
Looking at some of the O’Mearas other spring crops, the spring barley was planted at three different timings. The first of the crop went in in early March, the majority went in after St. Patrick’s Day and the later planted fields, which were sown at the end of March, are struggling the most as the dry and frosty conditions have taken hold.
Ger and his father Patrick were finalists in this year’s Dairygold malting barley awards where the focus was on sustainability.
As the spring crops were planted early they will not receive an aphicide. The early planting date also sets those crops up well for malting grade, as earlier crops stand a better chance of passing protein specifications.
Ger and his father Patrick were finalists in this year’s Dairygold malting barley awards where the focus was on sustainability.
Minimum-tillage
The spring beans were established using minimum tillage and are very advanced.
Says Ger: “They took from the word go. They’re actually seed beans and there’s an extra bit of vigour in them I’d say.”
Ger added that beans are great for biodiversity. They are a low input crop and provide plenty of food for bees, as well as helping with soil health and structure.
The rotation on the farm allows Ger to plant premium crops which can offer a higher price. Aside from beans, oilseed rape and crops after beet are also min-tilled.
Ger O'Meara applying a T1 to his winter wheat crop.
Spraying
The main work at the minute is with spraying. T1s on winter wheat, growth regulator and fungicide on winter oats and winter barley. In the coming days spring barley will also be due a herbicide.
Ger added Phylgreen to the T1 fungicide on the winter wheat and to the winter rye as well. The bio-stimulant, made from seaweed here in Ireland, can help to reduce plant stress and also improve fungicide uptake.
Convergence could destroy tillage
Despite making changes to improve the sustainability of the farm, Ger commented that convergence is a major threat to the system and to the tillage sector in general.
Over the past number of years many tillage farmers have seen their basic payments gradually reduce.
The O’Mearas are productive farmers, trying to increase efficiency, reduce inputs, improve soil health, are providing plenty of environmental good with their crop rotation and are ultimately being as productive as possible, but the loss of the basic payment is a massive concern.
“This convergence with CAP is going to destroy tillage,” Ger commented and added that those with higher than average entitlements worked hard for them and it should not be as simple as transferring payment from one side of the country to the other.
In the past week or so the Government's Agri-Food Strategy 2030 called for 10% of utilised agricultural area to be dedicated to biodiversity so it’s an appropriate time to speak to tillage farmer Ger O’Meara who has 10 different crops growing on his farm near Cahir, Co Tipperary.
So far Arable April has highlighted the many positives of the tillage sector in Ireland and implementing a good crop rotation is just one of the many measures the O’Mearas take to make the family farm more sustainable.
Variety
Among the crops on the O'Meara farm are winter rape, winter rye, winter barley, winter oats, winter wheat, spring beans, spring barley, spring oats, fodder beet and grass.
The family also finish cattle and keep fodder beet and rye to use as part of the ration.
“I’ll keep some rye myself. I kept some rye in the year gone by and I do intend to keep it again this year. I would traditionally have kept winter barley and I think it has the edge on it,” says Ger, who has his fodder beet planted almost three weeks now.
Looking at some of the O’Mearas other spring crops, the spring barley was planted at three different timings. The first of the crop went in in early March, the majority went in after St. Patrick’s Day and the later planted fields, which were sown at the end of March, are struggling the most as the dry and frosty conditions have taken hold.
Ger and his father Patrick were finalists in this year’s Dairygold malting barley awards where the focus was on sustainability.
As the spring crops were planted early they will not receive an aphicide. The early planting date also sets those crops up well for malting grade, as earlier crops stand a better chance of passing protein specifications.
Ger and his father Patrick were finalists in this year’s Dairygold malting barley awards where the focus was on sustainability.
Minimum-tillage
The spring beans were established using minimum tillage and are very advanced.
Says Ger: “They took from the word go. They’re actually seed beans and there’s an extra bit of vigour in them I’d say.”
Ger added that beans are great for biodiversity. They are a low input crop and provide plenty of food for bees, as well as helping with soil health and structure.
The rotation on the farm allows Ger to plant premium crops which can offer a higher price. Aside from beans, oilseed rape and crops after beet are also min-tilled.
Ger O'Meara applying a T1 to his winter wheat crop.
Spraying
The main work at the minute is with spraying. T1s on winter wheat, growth regulator and fungicide on winter oats and winter barley. In the coming days spring barley will also be due a herbicide.
Ger added Phylgreen to the T1 fungicide on the winter wheat and to the winter rye as well. The bio-stimulant, made from seaweed here in Ireland, can help to reduce plant stress and also improve fungicide uptake.
Convergence could destroy tillage
Despite making changes to improve the sustainability of the farm, Ger commented that convergence is a major threat to the system and to the tillage sector in general.
Over the past number of years many tillage farmers have seen their basic payments gradually reduce.
The O’Mearas are productive farmers, trying to increase efficiency, reduce inputs, improve soil health, are providing plenty of environmental good with their crop rotation and are ultimately being as productive as possible, but the loss of the basic payment is a massive concern.
“This convergence with CAP is going to destroy tillage,” Ger commented and added that those with higher than average entitlements worked hard for them and it should not be as simple as transferring payment from one side of the country to the other.
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