Vivion has been delivering straw while waiting for the weather to settle.

Vivion Tubritt

New Ross, Co Wexford

After a year of great weather, it now appears rainfall levels are trying to catch up. The weather broke in Saltmills towards the end of September, and since then, Vivion has had just two days without rain. He says there has been few drying opportunities, which has prevented him from preparing the ground ahead of this year’s winter cropping.

He was planning on min-tilling most of his winter cereals this year, but may have to review this in light of the ongoing wet weather.

Vivion recently collected his grain check from his local merchant and received a price of €140/t

He will plant winter barley up until October 20, but if the weather is still poor, may reduce his planned area.

He aims to sow Belfry hybrid winter barley and Craft malting barley. Vivion recently collected his grain check from his local merchant and received a price of €140/t.

While this is a substantial reduction on last year, it is still significantly better than Glanbia’s grain base price of €128/t.

Where farmers are not members and cannot avail of the member’s bonus, this is a very poor price and reflects badly on the company.

Potato harvest staggered

He has just 15ac out of 50ac of his potato crop lifted. All of these crops will be ready for harvesting by next week. The first 15ac of Rooster has yielded quite well, despite the dry conditions during the season. The crop yielded between 20-22t/ac gross.

Vivion lifts the potatoes into boxes using his Grimme 1700 trailed harvester. Within 24hrs, the boxes are brought to O’Sheas of Piltown in Kilkenny for storage and processing. Vivion acknowledged that it was becoming hard to find good tractor drivers.

He hopes to plant Costello and Graham winter wheat after lifting his potato crops, if the weather allows.

The rain has helped, but the crop still remains short

His five-way cover crop mix is looking somewhat backward, on account of a low start due to dry weather in July and August.

The rain has helped, but the crop still remains short. Vivion is planning on blowing down his combine this week in preparation for winter.

While waiting for the weather to settle, he has been delivering straw to a customer in Kilkenny and lifting empty potato boxes on the way back.

Chris lifting sugar beet for customers with his Agrifac beet harvester.

Chris Bourns

Eyrecourt, Co Galway

Chris was in the middle of figuring out what impact a reduction in planned winter barley area this season will have on his rotation when I spoke to him this week. It’s been a wet couple of months in Galway and ground conditions are poor.

Chris managed to start sowing winter crops this week after beet, but stubble ground remains wet.

He maintains that when the weather does settle for a period of time, the ground will dry sufficiently once ploughed, allowing him to sow.

I’m not worried about wheat, there’s still plenty of time left for planting

He will likely abandon planting in some of the wetter fields, but he still intends to sow at least 100ac of winter barley as well as winter wheat.

“I’m not worried about wheat, there’s still plenty of time left for planting,” he explains.

The main concern with dropping his planned winter barley area is the implications it may have on the three crop rule. However, this is only likely to be problematic if he can’t plant any winter barley at all.

Chris opted for the two row winter barley varieties Infinity and Valerie this year. He is considering planting JB Diego winter wheat again, as the crop consistently performs well.

While conditions haven’t been good enough for sowing, Chris has been able to lift a small amount of beet and plans to starting lifting more this week.

He’s growing both sugar and fodder beet this year. One field in particular was badly affected with volunteer beet, which is likely to make harvesting a challenge.

Despite this, the crop still yielded 3t/ac and when run through the dryer, the sample was very clean

Chris completed the 2019 harvest on 20 September. His last 20ac of spring barley was slow going, as it had logged badly.

Despite this, the crop still yielded 3t/ac and when run through the dryer, the sample was very clean.

He finished baling the last of the straw on the same date and now has most of this cleared off-field.

He sowed his GLAS cover crop mix of stubble turnip and forage rape at 16kg/ha, first discing the ground before sowing with a Kockerling grass seeder and rolling it. Establishment has been very good.

Paul managed to make a start at winter sowing this week. He is currently sowing Valerie at 160kg/ha.

Paul O’Connell

Ballybrittas, Co Laois

Paul ploughed 20ac in September before the weather broke, in preparation for winter cropping. At the time, the ground was very dry and he remembers thinking it could do with some moisture before sowing.

However, since the week of the Ploughing Championships, he has had over 130mm of rain and just started ploughing and sowing this week.

Ground is still very wet and will take a number of days to dry out.

Despite this, Paul says it still isn’t late for him and he will sow winter barley comfortably up until the last week of October. He’ll plant later for winter wheat.

Rotation shake up

Paul plans to shake up his rotation this year with the introduction of winter oats spring beans, winter barley and wheat.

Glanbia recently offered new gluten free oats contracts for the 2020 cropping season and Paul plans to break some ley ground into cereals with this crop.

The contract attracts a premium of €40/t over green wheat price.

He plans on planting some spring beans in winter barley ground that had some great brome present.

Paul explains how this is proving a challenge to control and the additional chemistry available with spring beans will help.

The planned breakdown of his rotation consists of winter barley (50%), winter wheat (32%) winter oats (10%) and spring beans (8%).

He plans to sow the winter barley varieties Belfry and Infinity, as he knows they perform on his farm

However, Paul fears he may have to reduce his planned winter barley area if poor weather persists. He will likely sow this area with spring barley next year, if this happens.

He plans to sow the winter barley varieties Belfry and Infinity, as he knows they perform on his farm.

He is also trying the newer two row varieties Valerie and Castings. He has dropped Costello from his winter wheat variety plan this year, citing a continued drop in yields.

He plans to sow Bennington, Graham and JB Diego this year. There has been a slight upturn in straw markets this week, so Paul is moving straw west once again.

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