The Teagasc Crops and Technology Open Day is taking place next week in Oak Park and on this week’s Tillage Edge podcast, Dr Ewen Mullins, Head of Crops Research, and Dermot Forristal, Crops Researcher in Teagasc, preview the event.

As Ewen explains, it will take people most of the day to get through the full array of research and agronomy stands, crop workshops and machinery demonstrations, not to mention the horticulture area and potato desiccation area. 

All are welcome and entry is free and for more details: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/crops-open-day.php   

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 

Sprayer technology has advanced significantly over the past decade, yet the core principle remains the same: delivering the correct spray quality and rate to the target area.
 

For this week’s Tillage Edge podcast - the second of a two-part series with Dermot Forristal, a researcher with Teagasc - Dermot discusses the latest developments in sprayer technology, including nozzle technology and where this technology can be best used on farms.

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 

The grain harvest in the United States has a significant impact on global markets - and directly influences harvest prices here in Ireland.

So, for this week’s Tillage Edge, Brian Caldbeck, an Irishman running a seed business in Kentucky, returns to the show to discuss how US farmers are faring this season.

Brian explains that farmers in the Kentucky area are currently facing very wet conditions, which are delaying the completion of planting. 

However, he notes that overall plantings across the US are only slightly behind the seasonal average.

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 

Sprayer technology has advanced significantly over the past decade, yet the core principle remains the same: delivering the correct spray quality and rate to the target area.

For this week's Tillage Edge podcast — the first of a two-part series — Dermot Forristal, researcher with Teagasc, discusses the latest developments in sprayer technology and how these innovations can support farmers in the day-to-day management of their crops.  

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 

Challenges like weather, product availability and varying soil types often means that blanket applications are the norm rather than precise, targeted inputs.

This week, the Tillage Signpost programme held an event at Don Somers’ farm in county Wexford to explore how he’s applying inputs with greater accuracy and Michael Hennessy spoke to Don on the latest Tillage Edge podcast to find out more.

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 

The dry conditions over the past 10 days - and with no rain in the forecast - means that spring crops in particular, are coming under pressure. 

John Pettit, a Teagasc tillage advisor in Wexford, and Ciaran Collins, a Teagasc tillage specialist, join the Tillage Edge this week to discuss the key agronomy actions needed over the next week to 10 days.

Both John and Ciaran acknowledge the impact of the dry spell and note that, while the weather has reduced immediate disease pressure, the season is far from over. 

Diseases such as mildew and rust could still become an issue, and they explain that adjustments to crop protection programmes may be needed on many farms.

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 

The coming weeks are critical for controlling foliar diseases in cereal crops and Dr Stephen Kildea, researcher at Teagasc Oak Park, joins the Tillage Edge this week to discuss the best disease management strategies for the weather conditions expected in May 2025.   

Stephen highlights the increased yellow rust pressure in some crops.

“The main fungicide timings should be adequate to control this new yellow rust strain,” he says.  “But I would encourage growers to examine their crops weekly to ensure the disease does not progress.”

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 

Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, both tillage specialists with Teagasc, join the Tillage Edge this week to discuss the key actions needed in crops over the next 7 to 10 days.

We also hear from Andy Mahon, a Dubliner and farm manager in the UK, who shares his experience of the 2025 season so far. 

Andy highlights the stark realities facing UK farmers following the loss of direct payments and reflects on the shifting government attitude towards farming.

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 

The plough remains the most widely used crop establishment system in Ireland, but alternative methods can be just as effective under the right conditions. 

In this Tillage Edge episode, the first of two parts, Michael Hennessy is joined by Dermot Forristal, a Crops and Machinery Researcher at Teagasc Oak Park, to explore the history and evolution of cultivation systems in Irish tillage farming.

Dermot takes us through over 100 years of crop establishment practices, explaining how changes in machinery have influenced - and enabled - new approaches to soil cultivation. 

He also shares insights into why the plough dominated for so long, and what factors are now driving farmers to consider alternative systems.

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 

The on-again, off-again tariffs being proposed by the US may have significant implications for Irish tillage farmers in the months and years ahead.  

For this episode of The Tillage Edge, Michael Hennessy is joined by Professor Michael Wallace, economist of agriculture and food in UCD, to discuss the potential effects of these global trade developments on the Irish tillage sector.

Professor Wallace outlines the impact of existing tariffs and how new measures could further disrupt global supply chains - leading to uneven pricing across different regions. 

He also highlights how this changing trade environment might present an opportunity for Irish policymakers to invest in and strengthen the domestic tillage sector, reducing our reliance on imports and enhancing national food security.

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