The Tillage Edge Teagasc

Minister of State, Martin Heydon, TD joins this week’s Tillage Edge podcast to talk about the recently published Food Vision 2030 Tillage Report which sets out 28 recommendations to develop the tillage sector. 
 
Minister Heydon says the tillage sector is integral to the fabric of Irish agriculture and is a necessary part for all other areas to work well.
 
He also makes a particular reference to the value of the low carbon Irish grain and how this can support the overall exports from the country.  
 
At the same time, he points to the fact that recognition is all well and good, but tillage farmers need to be rewarded for these efforts.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Grass weeds can be a serious risk to tillage farmers, and unlike the weather or international markets, grass weed prevention and eradication is something that is in the farmer’s control.
 
Teagasc advisor, John Mahon, and Vijaya Bhaskar, Teagasc weed researcher, are on this week's Tillage Edge podcast to discuss grass weeds and how important it is to be vigilant at this time of year to prevent spread.
 
For more information go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/grass-weeds/ 
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Spring crops will develop quickly in the shorter season and timing of the necessary inputs will be difficult.  
 
Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Tillage Specialists, join this week’s Tillage Edge to talk about sequencing the critical inputs to crops.
 
Shay says growers should be cautious about nitrogen rates to ensure malting barley quality is achieved and Ciaran talks through how to sequence herbicides for broadleaf weed control and canary grass control.   

These topics will be discussed in more depth at the current round of crop walks and for more details on the Teagasc Spring Crop Walks go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/events/ 
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

BYDV levels are high and it can have a significant negative yield impact in both winter and spring crops.
 
Dr Louise McNamara joins The Tillage Edge this week to chat about the current BYDV levels in winter crops and how to minimise BYDV in spring crops.
 
Louise says it is too late to control aphids in winter crops but almost all spring crops are at a high risk from BYDV and it is critical to control aphids with the correct timing.  
 
For more details on the Teagasc Spring Crop Walks see here: 
https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/events/ 
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Contractors play a vital role in the tillage industry and this week on The Tillage Edge podcast, Michael Hennessy chats to two contractors, Patrick Nolan, who is working close to Athy, Co Kildare and Padraig Noonan, close to Conna in Cork.   
 
Both men outline the pressures to completing work during the past 10 days with Padraig saying they have completed most of the spring planting, however he mentioned a shift from tillage to grass in his area which is reducing the overall area this year.
 
Patrick Nolan has more tillage area to plant and feels he is a little more behind due to other demands such as emptying slurry tanks.  Both contractors agree the poor winter pushed more work to the spring making it harder to satisfy all customers at once.  
 
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Life Scientific, is an Irish company researching, developing and manufacturing off-patent plant protection products for the global market.  
 
For this week’s Tillage Edge, Michael Hennessy was joined by Ruth Stanley, the Ireland and UK country manager, to tell us a bit more about the company, and by Scott Lovell, from Croplink, who distribute some of their products.
 
Ruth and Scott explain how Life Scientific's manufactured generic products essentially mirrors the original product on the market.  
 
Ruth says their R&D team spends a considerable amount of time investigating the exact makeup of the product allowing an exact replica which is acceptable by the registration authority.
 
For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com