Oilseed rape has been a strong performer on Irish farms thanks to consistent yields, high prices and potential for lower production costs.  

Eoin Lyons, Teagasc advisor, Laois, and Ciarán Collins, Teagasc tillage specialist, join the Tillage Edge podcast to discuss rotational slots, varieties, establishment and early management of oilseed rape.  

Eoin stresses the importance of avoiding sowing into very dry soils, which can cause uneven emergence and lead to management problems later in the 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

Drone technology is becoming more accessible and increasingly useful on tillage farms and on this episode of The Tillage Edge, Michael Hennessy speaks with Daniel O'Reilly of Aerial Ag Ireland about a large agricultural drone used to apply cover‑crop seed into a standing spring barley crop.

Daniel explains how the system works, why it’s well suited to in‑crop application, and how a machine that can carry up to 40 kg of seed can speed up application and reduce the need for ground machinery.

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 more than half the harvest completed overall (and some areas more than 80% finished), Teagasc advisors, Michael McCarthy (Cork), Mark Trimble (Kilkenny) and John Brophy (Naas) join the podcast to discuss harvest results in their regions.

Yields are mixed — most cereal grain has been disappointing, although oilseed rape performed well across the board. As Michael McCarthy noted, “Once again oilseed rape is the star of the show and I have had a number of enquiries about planting it again for next year.”

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

Reducing the seed burden in the soil is key to lowering weed pressure in subsequent growing crops and for this week’s Tillage Edge, Dr Vijaya Bhaskar, a weed researcher at Teagasc Oak Park, joins the podcast to discuss what farmers can do in the coming weeks to tackle weeds. 

He also reviews new research on brome dormancy and the implications for this year’s stubble cultivation.

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 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

Getting an international perspective can help put current grain-market conditions into context — and for this episode of The Tillage Edge, Brian Caldbeck, an Irish grower who runs Rubisco Seeds in Kentucky, USA, joins the show to discuss what he’s seeing across the U.S. crop landscape.

Locally in Kentucky wheat yields are good, but recent rains may have created quality concerns, while further west severe drought has significantly reduced production and many fields were used for forage rather than grain production.

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