After 39 weeks, From the Tramlines comes to an end for another year. Twenty-twenty has been a year like no other. While the COVID-19 pandemic altered virtually every aspect of our lives, one thing remained unchanged, food still had to be produced.
It was a challenging year for crop production as growers had to contend with several weather extremes, from drought, to floods, to freak frosts and storms. Many growers saw reduced yields and quality as a result. Some areas did fare better than others, however. All growers welcomed the turnaround in grain prices during the autumn and this will hopefully set up 2021 to be a better year.
This week we talk to all 12 growers in the programme to get their thoughts on the year.
Lifford, Co Donegal
It has been a tough year in the northwest. “It’s been a year to forget but was a good one to learn from. We’ll be better equipped to deal with the next year like this,” says Hugh.
Spring sowing went reasonably well for him and crops got off to a good start. His autumn-sown crops were worse for wear after coming through a very wet winter, however. As a result, he had to resow one field of winter barley.
Wild bird cover being sown in dry conditons on Hugh's farm.
The dry spring suited crops in Donegal and disease pressure was very low.
The harvest was a struggle, and were it not for five days in September, Hugh thinks he would have lost his spring crops. Autumn sowing went OK but the return of very wet conditions is taking a toll on winter barley in particular. The yearly total for rainfall is at 1270mm so far.
High: A good price for straw in Donegal and good weather in the spring were the high points for Hugh.
Low: Having to resow winter barley in the spring was a low point of the year for him.
Ballyragget,
Co Kilkenny
James says he was surprised his winter crops performed as well as they did considering how bad the 2019 autumn was. Overall, he describes 2020 as a reasonable year, helped by respectable harvest yields and a recovery in grain prices. Luckily, the pandemic didn’t have a considerable impact on the day-to-day running of the business.
Disease pressure was very low and, through carefully monitoring levels, he was able to reduce his fungicide spend considerably. He did see a small amount of fusarium creep into wheat and spring barley at the end of the season, however.
James working through the night to drill winter wheat.
James was lucky with the harvest weather, having had the majority of crops cut before the weather broke. Straw, on the other hand, was a nightmare to save.
The sowing season was a dream compared to 2019 and, after a number of late nights, the majority of crops are now sown.
High: A recovery in grain prices and a very low disease pressure year were highlights for James.
Low: The pandemic and the impact it had on everyone was a low point of the year for him.
Naas, Co Kildare
It was a year which was defined by weather extremes, says Tim. After the wet autumn in 2019 and wet start to 2020, crops were in need of early nitrogen. There was a limited window to get this job done in January as the weather once again became unsettled until March.
When things settled again, spring crops were sown in great conditions and establishment was good. However, ground soon turned dry and this did affect harvest yields. It was a relatively low disease pressure year, however.
The harvest was broken and the 121mm of rain in September made finishing off the spring crops a challenge, Tim says. Yields of winter crops and beans were disappointing, but spring barley did perform well.
He said there was no break between harvest and sowing this year as he started drilling cereals on 19 September. Despite a broken autumn, 95% of crops were sown and emergence is good.
High: Tim made a lot of hay in May and this gamble turned out to be the right decision.
Low: Seeing the ground through the thin winter barley crop canopy in May was a low point.
Navan, Co Meath
Colm’s land is suited to winter crops. When he couldn’t plant his planned area in autumn 2019 and instead had to increase his spring area, he knew it was going to be a challenging year.
The cereal crops which were sown in autumn 2019 suffered significantly due to the wet weather so their yield potential was limited. Spring sowing began at the end of March and went smoothly. Crop establishment was good but the period of drought which followed hit spring crops and the weaker winter crops badly.
Much of Colm’s crops were fit for harvest at the same time this year. This, coupled with poor weather, meant the harvest was particularly stressful. Yields were mixed.
The autumn sowing period was staggered, often with short sowing windows. However, he did sow most of his planned winter crops and establishment was very good.
High: Colm was very happy with how his winter oilseed rape performed, yielding around 2t/ac.
Low: The period of drought after spring sowing which hit spring crops and winter barley was a low point.
Curracloe, Co Wexford
It was a relatively straightforward year in Curracloe, says Padraig. He is happy with how all of the crops performed.
After a very wet start to the year, things dried up in March and they were able to “sail through” main-crop potato planting and spring cereal sowing. After a freak May frost, conditions began to turn very dry and many potato crops required irrigation. Rain arrived in the nick of time in June, which alleviated much of the drought pressure in the area.
Padraig cultivating ahead of winter planting.
The cereal and main-crop potato harvest was broken but he was happy with the crop yields and quality. This was the first year they min-tilled autumn-sown crops, which Padraig says has been a big success. The carrot and onion harvest also went relatively smoothly.
High: The arrival of rain in June was just on time to reduce drought pressure stress on his potato and cereal crops.
Low: The freak May frost was a low point as it did cause some damage to early potatoes.
Limavady, Co Derry
The weather extremes of 2020 made it a tough year, Jonathan says. It went from extreme dry in the spring to extreme wet in the autumn, which made growing and harvesting crops a challenge.
The spring crop planting campaign was a pleasure in Limavady but conditions soon turned very dry on Jonathan’s sandy soil. Winter barley crops suffered considerably but his wheat and spring crops managed reasonably well. Disease pressure was very low in the area.
The harvest had to be completed in very short windows and was greatly helped by a settled week in September. Winter barley yields were poor but spring barley yields and, in particular, his winter wheat crops performed very well.
Jonathon’s early sown 2021 winter crops suffered from heavy rain after sowing but his later-sown crops are coming along well. He managed to sow most of what he had planned this year.
High: The great performance of his winter wheat crops was a high point for him.
Low: The extreme weather, from drought, to wind to flooding was a low point of the year.
Delvin, Co Westmeath
Donal says he felt fortunate to be farming this year as COVID-19 disruption was minimal compared to other sectors.
Winter crops suffered considerably from a poor autumn in 2019 and emerged from the winter quite patchy. Spring crops were established in good conditions and weren’t affected by dry weather. He used fertiliser blended with trace elements this year. However, he plans to gradually reduce fertiliser use and increase the use of spent mushroom compost.
Donal's winter barley crop earlier in the year.
The harvest was intermittent and the combine was often parked up for days at a time. However, crop yields were reasonably good considering the year. Ground conditions remained reasonable throughout the harvest.
The autumn was awkward at times due to the weather but Donal did manage to sow the majority of his planned area. Crops are heading into the winter in good shape.
High: Having his two sons back home for the year was one of the unexpected benefits of the pandemic.
Low: The toll which COVID-19 had on families, communities and society was a low point of the year.
In general, 2020 was a good year in Waterford. A good spring, the right amount of rainfall when it was needed, a smooth harvest and a reasonable autumn planting season meant the county was one of the lucky ones this year.
Establishment of Philip's beet crop was good.
The autumn of 2019 took its toll on Philip’s crops and in hindsight, he questions the decision to plant as much as he did. To his surprise, winter crops went on to yield quite well. Spring crops were sown in good conditions and enjoyed an easy season until August, when stormy weather resulted in some crop losses. Overall, however, they performed well. It was a low disease pressure year but Philip chose varieties with good disease ratings.
Philip began autumn drilling earlier this year in order to ensure crops were well established before heading into the winter. He does note an amount of aphids around so it remains to be seen what impact they will have on BYDV pressure.
High: The surprisingly good yields of all crops was Philip’s high point.
Low: Having to plough up some of his winter crops in the spring.
Bangor, Down
The year started off very wet in Down, before turning very dry then back to wet again, says David. Winter crops came through a difficult, wet winter before having to contend with drought in the spring. Spring crops were sown in great conditions, however. As May and June were so dry, disease pressure was low, although rust did make an appearance. The harvest was staggered and broken, but the uplift in grain prices made the efforts worthwhile.
David applying lime on to stubble.
Grain and straw yields were back and wet weather affected the quality of wheat and spring barley in particular. Oats did quite well, however.
David had to pick and choose ground carefully when sowing in the autumn but he managed to get everything in. While most crops haven’t been sprayed yet, crop establishment and condition are good. Despite low aphid numbers, it remains to be seen if BYDV will be an issue in 2021.
High: The recovery in grain prices at harvest time was a highlight for David.
Low: The disruption caused by COVID-19 to daily life was a low point for David and many other growers.
Stabannon, Louth
It was autumn of 2019 which did the harm to winter crops, says Gareth. This severely limited the potential of winter cereal yields he remarked. Despite having to resow 50% of his winter oilseed rape, the remaining crop performed very well. The early spring was helpful to get spring crops drilled but the onset of drought affected yields, particularly spring beans. The harvest was a snatch and grab exercise but autumn sowing went well.
Overall Gareth had three key lessons from this year:
1 Rotation is key but you have to have a plan B when the weather goes against you.
2 He will time his foliar nutrient spray two weeks earlier than a conventional T1 fungicide timing.
3 You have to be willing to be flexible as he had to min-till crops in certain circumstances instead of direct drilling.
High: The high point for Gareth was the success of his six-way winter wheat variety crop which only had to receive one fungicide to control rust.
Low: Low spring bean and straw yields this year were a particular disappointment.
Kinsale, Cork
In general, Martin’s year was a positive one, with plenty of opportunities to get work done. The year got off to a good start with an early spring which allowed field work to be done in great conditions. Autumn-sown crops came through the winter in reasonable condition and spring crop establishment was excellent.
“Crops looked excellent right up until we put the combine through it,” Martin says. Ultimately, crops didn’t yield as well as he had hoped, however, and he attributes a lot of this to the two storms which arrived in August. “The August storms easily took 1t/ac from my spring crops,” he says.
He was able to sow all of his planned area of 2021 winter crops but progress was staggered due to broken weather. Establishment, however, was excellent.
Martin harvesting beet in October.
High: The good establishment of crops, the steady improvement in grain prices from July onwards and the introduction of Conviso smart beet.
Low: The three weeks of very poor weather in August as well as the emergence of beet yellow virus in Cork.
Gerry McGrath
Tuam, Co Galway
Gerry is happy with how the year turned out for him. Crop yields were good and he was very lucky with the weather.
All of his spring sowing was done in the last days of March. Spring crops got off to a flying start and enjoyed a reasonably good growing year. Damage was done to the winter barley crops in autumn, however, with poor establishment due to high levels of rainfall.
Gound ploughed up well in Gerry's farm in autumn.
Gerry was lucky with the harvest weather and was able to get most of the cutting and baling done in a short space of time. Spring crop yields were reasonable, while winter barley yields were disappointing at around 2.5t/ac.
He sowed his winter crops good and early and says if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have got them sown. “Around these parts, you only get one chance so holding off on sowing to reduce the risk of BYDV just isn’t a runner,” Gerry explains.
High: The fantastic weather during the summer.
Low: Having to decide whether or not to plough up and resow a winter barley crop last spring.
A word of thanks
From all in the Irish Farmers Journal, we would like to thank growers for their time and effort in taking part in this year’s series. Thank you also to our series sponsors, Corteva Agriscience and Goulding’s for their continued support.
After 39 weeks, From the Tramlines comes to an end for another year. Twenty-twenty has been a year like no other. While the COVID-19 pandemic altered virtually every aspect of our lives, one thing remained unchanged, food still had to be produced.
It was a challenging year for crop production as growers had to contend with several weather extremes, from drought, to floods, to freak frosts and storms. Many growers saw reduced yields and quality as a result. Some areas did fare better than others, however. All growers welcomed the turnaround in grain prices during the autumn and this will hopefully set up 2021 to be a better year.
This week we talk to all 12 growers in the programme to get their thoughts on the year.
Lifford, Co Donegal
It has been a tough year in the northwest. “It’s been a year to forget but was a good one to learn from. We’ll be better equipped to deal with the next year like this,” says Hugh.
Spring sowing went reasonably well for him and crops got off to a good start. His autumn-sown crops were worse for wear after coming through a very wet winter, however. As a result, he had to resow one field of winter barley.
Wild bird cover being sown in dry conditons on Hugh's farm.
The dry spring suited crops in Donegal and disease pressure was very low.
The harvest was a struggle, and were it not for five days in September, Hugh thinks he would have lost his spring crops. Autumn sowing went OK but the return of very wet conditions is taking a toll on winter barley in particular. The yearly total for rainfall is at 1270mm so far.
High: A good price for straw in Donegal and good weather in the spring were the high points for Hugh.
Low: Having to resow winter barley in the spring was a low point of the year for him.
Ballyragget,
Co Kilkenny
James says he was surprised his winter crops performed as well as they did considering how bad the 2019 autumn was. Overall, he describes 2020 as a reasonable year, helped by respectable harvest yields and a recovery in grain prices. Luckily, the pandemic didn’t have a considerable impact on the day-to-day running of the business.
Disease pressure was very low and, through carefully monitoring levels, he was able to reduce his fungicide spend considerably. He did see a small amount of fusarium creep into wheat and spring barley at the end of the season, however.
James working through the night to drill winter wheat.
James was lucky with the harvest weather, having had the majority of crops cut before the weather broke. Straw, on the other hand, was a nightmare to save.
The sowing season was a dream compared to 2019 and, after a number of late nights, the majority of crops are now sown.
High: A recovery in grain prices and a very low disease pressure year were highlights for James.
Low: The pandemic and the impact it had on everyone was a low point of the year for him.
Naas, Co Kildare
It was a year which was defined by weather extremes, says Tim. After the wet autumn in 2019 and wet start to 2020, crops were in need of early nitrogen. There was a limited window to get this job done in January as the weather once again became unsettled until March.
When things settled again, spring crops were sown in great conditions and establishment was good. However, ground soon turned dry and this did affect harvest yields. It was a relatively low disease pressure year, however.
The harvest was broken and the 121mm of rain in September made finishing off the spring crops a challenge, Tim says. Yields of winter crops and beans were disappointing, but spring barley did perform well.
He said there was no break between harvest and sowing this year as he started drilling cereals on 19 September. Despite a broken autumn, 95% of crops were sown and emergence is good.
High: Tim made a lot of hay in May and this gamble turned out to be the right decision.
Low: Seeing the ground through the thin winter barley crop canopy in May was a low point.
Navan, Co Meath
Colm’s land is suited to winter crops. When he couldn’t plant his planned area in autumn 2019 and instead had to increase his spring area, he knew it was going to be a challenging year.
The cereal crops which were sown in autumn 2019 suffered significantly due to the wet weather so their yield potential was limited. Spring sowing began at the end of March and went smoothly. Crop establishment was good but the period of drought which followed hit spring crops and the weaker winter crops badly.
Much of Colm’s crops were fit for harvest at the same time this year. This, coupled with poor weather, meant the harvest was particularly stressful. Yields were mixed.
The autumn sowing period was staggered, often with short sowing windows. However, he did sow most of his planned winter crops and establishment was very good.
High: Colm was very happy with how his winter oilseed rape performed, yielding around 2t/ac.
Low: The period of drought after spring sowing which hit spring crops and winter barley was a low point.
Curracloe, Co Wexford
It was a relatively straightforward year in Curracloe, says Padraig. He is happy with how all of the crops performed.
After a very wet start to the year, things dried up in March and they were able to “sail through” main-crop potato planting and spring cereal sowing. After a freak May frost, conditions began to turn very dry and many potato crops required irrigation. Rain arrived in the nick of time in June, which alleviated much of the drought pressure in the area.
Padraig cultivating ahead of winter planting.
The cereal and main-crop potato harvest was broken but he was happy with the crop yields and quality. This was the first year they min-tilled autumn-sown crops, which Padraig says has been a big success. The carrot and onion harvest also went relatively smoothly.
High: The arrival of rain in June was just on time to reduce drought pressure stress on his potato and cereal crops.
Low: The freak May frost was a low point as it did cause some damage to early potatoes.
Limavady, Co Derry
The weather extremes of 2020 made it a tough year, Jonathan says. It went from extreme dry in the spring to extreme wet in the autumn, which made growing and harvesting crops a challenge.
The spring crop planting campaign was a pleasure in Limavady but conditions soon turned very dry on Jonathan’s sandy soil. Winter barley crops suffered considerably but his wheat and spring crops managed reasonably well. Disease pressure was very low in the area.
The harvest had to be completed in very short windows and was greatly helped by a settled week in September. Winter barley yields were poor but spring barley yields and, in particular, his winter wheat crops performed very well.
Jonathon’s early sown 2021 winter crops suffered from heavy rain after sowing but his later-sown crops are coming along well. He managed to sow most of what he had planned this year.
High: The great performance of his winter wheat crops was a high point for him.
Low: The extreme weather, from drought, to wind to flooding was a low point of the year.
Delvin, Co Westmeath
Donal says he felt fortunate to be farming this year as COVID-19 disruption was minimal compared to other sectors.
Winter crops suffered considerably from a poor autumn in 2019 and emerged from the winter quite patchy. Spring crops were established in good conditions and weren’t affected by dry weather. He used fertiliser blended with trace elements this year. However, he plans to gradually reduce fertiliser use and increase the use of spent mushroom compost.
Donal's winter barley crop earlier in the year.
The harvest was intermittent and the combine was often parked up for days at a time. However, crop yields were reasonably good considering the year. Ground conditions remained reasonable throughout the harvest.
The autumn was awkward at times due to the weather but Donal did manage to sow the majority of his planned area. Crops are heading into the winter in good shape.
High: Having his two sons back home for the year was one of the unexpected benefits of the pandemic.
Low: The toll which COVID-19 had on families, communities and society was a low point of the year.
In general, 2020 was a good year in Waterford. A good spring, the right amount of rainfall when it was needed, a smooth harvest and a reasonable autumn planting season meant the county was one of the lucky ones this year.
Establishment of Philip's beet crop was good.
The autumn of 2019 took its toll on Philip’s crops and in hindsight, he questions the decision to plant as much as he did. To his surprise, winter crops went on to yield quite well. Spring crops were sown in good conditions and enjoyed an easy season until August, when stormy weather resulted in some crop losses. Overall, however, they performed well. It was a low disease pressure year but Philip chose varieties with good disease ratings.
Philip began autumn drilling earlier this year in order to ensure crops were well established before heading into the winter. He does note an amount of aphids around so it remains to be seen what impact they will have on BYDV pressure.
High: The surprisingly good yields of all crops was Philip’s high point.
Low: Having to plough up some of his winter crops in the spring.
Bangor, Down
The year started off very wet in Down, before turning very dry then back to wet again, says David. Winter crops came through a difficult, wet winter before having to contend with drought in the spring. Spring crops were sown in great conditions, however. As May and June were so dry, disease pressure was low, although rust did make an appearance. The harvest was staggered and broken, but the uplift in grain prices made the efforts worthwhile.
David applying lime on to stubble.
Grain and straw yields were back and wet weather affected the quality of wheat and spring barley in particular. Oats did quite well, however.
David had to pick and choose ground carefully when sowing in the autumn but he managed to get everything in. While most crops haven’t been sprayed yet, crop establishment and condition are good. Despite low aphid numbers, it remains to be seen if BYDV will be an issue in 2021.
High: The recovery in grain prices at harvest time was a highlight for David.
Low: The disruption caused by COVID-19 to daily life was a low point for David and many other growers.
Stabannon, Louth
It was autumn of 2019 which did the harm to winter crops, says Gareth. This severely limited the potential of winter cereal yields he remarked. Despite having to resow 50% of his winter oilseed rape, the remaining crop performed very well. The early spring was helpful to get spring crops drilled but the onset of drought affected yields, particularly spring beans. The harvest was a snatch and grab exercise but autumn sowing went well.
Overall Gareth had three key lessons from this year:
1 Rotation is key but you have to have a plan B when the weather goes against you.
2 He will time his foliar nutrient spray two weeks earlier than a conventional T1 fungicide timing.
3 You have to be willing to be flexible as he had to min-till crops in certain circumstances instead of direct drilling.
High: The high point for Gareth was the success of his six-way winter wheat variety crop which only had to receive one fungicide to control rust.
Low: Low spring bean and straw yields this year were a particular disappointment.
Kinsale, Cork
In general, Martin’s year was a positive one, with plenty of opportunities to get work done. The year got off to a good start with an early spring which allowed field work to be done in great conditions. Autumn-sown crops came through the winter in reasonable condition and spring crop establishment was excellent.
“Crops looked excellent right up until we put the combine through it,” Martin says. Ultimately, crops didn’t yield as well as he had hoped, however, and he attributes a lot of this to the two storms which arrived in August. “The August storms easily took 1t/ac from my spring crops,” he says.
He was able to sow all of his planned area of 2021 winter crops but progress was staggered due to broken weather. Establishment, however, was excellent.
Martin harvesting beet in October.
High: The good establishment of crops, the steady improvement in grain prices from July onwards and the introduction of Conviso smart beet.
Low: The three weeks of very poor weather in August as well as the emergence of beet yellow virus in Cork.
Gerry McGrath
Tuam, Co Galway
Gerry is happy with how the year turned out for him. Crop yields were good and he was very lucky with the weather.
All of his spring sowing was done in the last days of March. Spring crops got off to a flying start and enjoyed a reasonably good growing year. Damage was done to the winter barley crops in autumn, however, with poor establishment due to high levels of rainfall.
Gound ploughed up well in Gerry's farm in autumn.
Gerry was lucky with the harvest weather and was able to get most of the cutting and baling done in a short space of time. Spring crop yields were reasonable, while winter barley yields were disappointing at around 2.5t/ac.
He sowed his winter crops good and early and says if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have got them sown. “Around these parts, you only get one chance so holding off on sowing to reduce the risk of BYDV just isn’t a runner,” Gerry explains.
High: The fantastic weather during the summer.
Low: Having to decide whether or not to plough up and resow a winter barley crop last spring.
A word of thanks
From all in the Irish Farmers Journal, we would like to thank growers for their time and effort in taking part in this year’s series. Thank you also to our series sponsors, Corteva Agriscience and Goulding’s for their continued support.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: