The Tillage Edge

With the harvest well underway and the continued good weather, farms are proceeding without a hitch. 

Shay Phelan and Ciaran Collins, Tillage Specialists with Teagasc, join this week's Tillage Edge podcast to discuss harvest yields so far and to consider possible reasons for the results.

Both Ciaran and Shay agree winter barley yields are disappointing and pinpoint the factors behind higher yields — and they explain how the absence of those factors has led to lower returns.

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

Eddie Casey spoke to Michael Hennessy at the recent Johnstown Castle Research Centre Open Day to talk about Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and why it’s important for farmers to understand their soils and the actions they can take to influence CEC and nutrient retention. 
 
Eddie explains what CEC is, how it affects a soil’s ability to hold and supply nutrients, and where soils with higher and lower CEC typically occur across the country.
 
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

Purchased seed is a foundational part of crop production each year and for this week’s Tillage Edge, Michael Hennessy caught up with Jim Cunningham, Seed Plant Manager at Goldcrop’s production facility in Dunleer, Co Louth to chat about how he and his team maintain seed quality and varietal purity from intake through processing, storage and dispatch to growers for the following season.
 
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

At the recent Johnstown Castle Research Centre Open Day, Michael Hennessy caught up with Dr. Fiona Brennan, a Teagasc Senior Researcher in Soil Microbiology, to talk about soil health and how tillage farmers can keep their soils in top condition. 
 
Fiona outlines the key parameters that affect soil health—structure, organic matter, biology, nutrient balance and drainage—and highlights practical steps farmers can take throughout the year to improve those factors and boost crop yields.
 
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

New varieties help maintain or increase on-farm yields and Michael Hennessy caught up with John Dunne, Trials Manager at Goldcrop, after their Dunleer open day to discuss the latest varieties coming through the system.
 
John covers developments in resistance to yellow rust in winter wheat and the near‑standard BYDV tolerance now seen in winter barleys, and explains what those changes mean for growers when choosing varieties.
 
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