In this first episode of a four-part series on The Tillage Edge, we explore how families can best plan for succession on the farm. 

James McDonnell, a financial specialist with Teagasc, discusses the key aspects of family farm succession and for part one, we focus on how to begin the succession journey, starting with family communication and the types of support available to help get the process underway.

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 

Teagasc Economist, Dr. Fiona Thorne, discusses the key findings from the recent Teagasc Outlook 2025 conference on this week’s Tillage Edge. 

Tillage farm incomes are expected to rebound after the tough year of 2023, with estimates showing a 40% increase in 2024 and further gains in 2025. 

However, Fiona highlights the importance of context, emphasising that incomes are still below the five-year average. 

She explains how these estimates are calculated, the role of cost savings, and assumptions for 2025. 

Farmers are encouraged to assess their own costs using tools like Teagasc’s Profit Monitor or by consulting their local advisor.  

To view the Teagasc Outlook 2025 report go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/rural-economy/rural-economy/outlook/

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 

For this week’s Tillage Edge, we rejoin Tom Barry, a tillage farmer from North Cork sharing how he's implementing sustainable farming practices using organic manures and reducing fertiliser use to enhancing biodiversity.

On this episode, Tom explains more about the rotation on his farm and we’re also joined by Teagasc Signpost advisor, John Mahon, to get an insight into the environmental profile of Tom’s farm.

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 

Tom Barry, a tillage farmer from North Cork, who has recently been recognised with multiple environmental awards, joins The Tillage Edge for a two-part series sharing how he's implementing sustainable farming practices from using organic manures and reducing fertiliser use to enhancing biodiversity.  Plus he discusses the impact of these actions on his farm’s productivity.

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 

A year ago, many farmers faced significant challenges due to the unusually wet weather, which disrupted their crop rotations. 

For this week’s Tillage Edge, John Pettit, a Teagasc tillage advisor from South Wexford, shares his insights into how farmers are adapting their crop rotations to suit both their land and the local markets.

John explains that there may be more than one rotation on a farm to account for variations in soil, whether lighter or heavier. 

He also emphasises the importance of calculating financial margins on the farm to make more informed decisions.

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 

Winter oilseed rape has grown strongly over the past month but these conditions are also good for foliar disease development.  

Dr Stephen Kildea joins the Tillage Edge this week to talk about disease levels in oilseed rape and if control is necessary.

He encourages all growers to walk their fields to look for Phoma and Light Leaf Spot (LLS) and recommends if LLS is not visible, to take some leaf samples, put in a bag, leave in a warm environment and assess after a couple of days.  If no disease is present then there is probably no need to apply a fungicide.  

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 

Organic farming is gaining attention as a viable option for tillage farmers, especially with the demand for organic feed in livestock production on the rise. 

Martin Burke, an organic specialist from Teagasc, joins the Tillage Edge podcast to discuss how the recently opened Organic Scheme could offer new opportunities for farmers looking to diversify and improve sustainability.

With profitability challenges in conventional tillage farming, Martin says the organic scheme is ideally suited to tillage farming where part of the farm can be converted to organic and continue to farm the remaining area as conventional. 

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 

Over recent weeks, most farmers have had the opportunity to plant winter crops, with many crops well emerged. 

Ciaran Collins, a tillage specialist, and Vijaya Bhaskar, a weed researcher from Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge podcast this week to discuss the best options for effective pre and post emergence weed control in winter cereals. 

Ciaran emphasises that controlling grass weeds through pre-emergence or early post-emergence is essential for effective management.

Vijaya provides an update on ALS herbicide-resistant annual meadow grass detected across the country, noting that pre-emergence herbicides are effective on these resistant populations.

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 

With many crops just starting to emerge, it's time to think about protecting them from BYDV, or Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus.

Dr. Louise McNamara, an entomologist from Teagasc, joins this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the best strategies for controlling BYDV in winter cereals.

Louise emphasises that monitoring for aphids is key to any Integrated Pest Management approach. 

However, due to the challenges of correctly identifying aphids and determining whether they carry the virus, the recommended timings for aphid control this year remain similar to previous years.

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 

With harvest complete, farmers now have a clear understanding of the grain they have available for sale. 

While many have already sold their grain in forward market positions, others are considering deferring sales for several weeks or months.

James Nolan, a grain trader at Barnett-Hall, is on this week’s Tillage Edge to discuss the current market outlook and what farmers should expect as we move forwards.

James highlights the challenges of drought in Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as adverse weather conditions in South America. However, the underlying factor of abundant maize supplies is likely to keep pressure on the market.

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