Beet crops will grow quickly with moisture. It is important that they are well fed.

Boron is essential, according to Dave Barry, who is the general manager of grass and forage crops at Goldcrop.

Beet crops across the country have had leaves on the ground in recent weeks, and Dave said he would not worry about that, as long as it doesn’t occur for longer than three weeks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dave said that, in general, beet crops are flying. “They’re all growing really well”, he commented on the Irish Farmers Journal’s Tillage Podcast. However, he warned farmers that crops need boron.

Effects of boron deficiency

“When the moisture comes to your field it [the beet crop] is going to explode in terms of its growth rate, and if there isn’t enough boron there, you’re going to have crown rot. You’re going to have boron deficiency.

“If I was to say to every single beet farmer in the country, almost forgetting about whatever boron you’ve put out already, go now and put out 5-7kg/ha of Solubor on your beet crop because the vast majority of crops will benefit from it and will really need it.”

Dave said that in a month or six weeks’ time, he will see fields with a tinge of yellow and will know that those fields did not get boron.

He said: “Its requirement for boron will be enormous once the rain comes.”

Fungicide

He noted that now is an ideal time to put out fungicide as well; as rain comes and temperatures are mild, it is ideal for disease to develop. He said to apply the fungicide, boron and magnesium to crops if they haven’t got them already.

You can hear more from Dave on maize, beet and catch crops on the Tillage Podcast by clicking this link.