Winter barley acreage hits record high

According to BPS figures, the amount of winter barley sown has reached record levels.

Hannah Quinn-Mulligan

19 June 2019

Niall Carroll sprays a crop of winter barley in Ballower, Co Carlow, for his daughter Louise Carroll who has leased the land while she studies machinery and tillage in Waterford. \ Philip Doyle

Some 193,000ac of winter barley have been sown according to BPS figures.

Teagasc has said that this is the highest ever recorded level of the crop.

Overall, Teagasc reported that spring cereals were in good condition with rainfall in early June helping to alleviate drought stress in some areas.

Blackgrass

However, it warned that there had been an increase in the reported cases of blackgrass in the country.

“Correct identification and hand-roguing is essential to eliminate the problem. One blackgrass plant can produce up to 1,000 seeds,” Teagasc said.

From the tramlines: winter barley harvest around the corner

Year is moving on as most crops ready for final fungicide

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