Harvest progress

This harvest is proving very difficult – it is hard to get much done but you must always be ready to move. There are bits coming out somewhere most days but very few are getting a full day’s cutting. There is now much more done in the south. Straw has been almost impossible to bale and some of this is now in the way of planting oilseed rape. A few growers have already chopped and spread straw where they need to get back in to plant.

While weather has been broken everywhere, rainfall amounts have been variable. Our Tramlines growers have had from 10mm to over 50mm in the past seven days, with the higher amounts falling in the midlands and north (see ifj.ie/weather).

Land is now getting soft in places and the recent weather has been particularly awkward for blight spraying. The wet is undoubtedly hitting progress and performance at this stage. Straw is breaking down and germination is an increasing concern.

Any improvement in our weather seems to be further away for many growers, adding to the pressure to cut at high moistures. However, if are to get a few dry days on the trot it is advisable to allow moistures to drop well down before cutting to help prevent mountains of grain waiting ahead of driers in merchants and co-op yards. Big piles at high moisture can give rise to additional problems.

Oilseed rape

Now is a good time to plant winter oilseed rape where conditions are suitable. Earlier planting makes more autumn growth easier.

Think about field choice and recent husbandry. It is good to get some organic fertiliser applied ahead of planting. This should be incorporated before planting to ensure its nitrogen is not lost. Extra care may be needed where herbicides were applied late in 2019 at high rates. It remains important to have high pH for rape, up around 6.8. It is equally important to have adequate P and K in the seedbed because rape needs to grow in the back end.

Seed rates should be around 35 seeds/m2 for hybrids and 60-80 seeds/m2 for conventional varieties, depending on seedbed conditions. For those planting Clearfield hybrids, the seed rate might be slightly lower, say 30-35 seeds/m2, as a slightly more open crop is useful for herbicide timing and these varieties tend to have weaker stems.

Catch crops

Get all catch, GLAS or fodder crops sown as soon as possible. Planting delays mean less growth and yield is the reason for planting. There will not be an opportunity to get an initial cultivation done now ahead of planting because you need to grow bulk and planting date matters.

Plant using min-till and on the same pass if possible. If you are growing a fodder rape/leafy turnip mix or a hybrid rape or kale you are allowed to apply up to 110kg N/ha, 20kg P/ha and 50kg K/ha on Index 3 ground. If soil improvement is part of your objective you should seriously consider part grazing and leaving the rest of the vegetation to go back into the land during cultivation.