Benefitting from beans in Co. Meath
Signpost Tillage farmer, Vincent Macken informs us of the latest happenings from his farm in Co. Meath, providing an update on beans, spring crop establishments and spraying.
This has been a great spring for getting work done on time. All crops are looking well with plenty of sunshine and enough soil moisture so far.
Sowing of spring crops began on the 3rd of March in good conditions. I am really happy to continue with beans again this year as one of my rotational break crops for a variety of reasons.
The fact it fixes nitrogen and lowers my chemical fertiliser bill and carbon footprint is one, but I find that it also offers opportunities to remediate ground with cover crops over winter, which in themselves are helping to improve my water quality.
Beans are also less intensive - both on inputs and labour which is scarce, but most of all because it makes financial sense now with the government genuinely and properly supporting legumes through the Protein Aid Scheme.
I planted Lynx spring bean seed at a rate of 215kg/ha into a min-tilled seedbed which had 0-6-27 + B + S (P & K fertiliser) incorporated at 375kg/ha. Pre-emergence herbicide was applied immediately after sowing. I applied Clayton Heed at 4L/ha and Clayton Klondike at 2 L/ha. This was followed up when the beans were 12cm tall with the graminicide Falcon at 0.8 L/ha to help me keep on top of my ongoing issues with Italian Ryegrass control.
Spring barley
It was then on to spring barley, the variety Rockway was sown on the 20th of March at 210kg/ha, a high enough seed rate due to large seed with a TGW of 55.
Again, similar to the beans, this was into a min-tilled seedbed with 10-5-25 + S (N,P,K fertiliser) incorporated at 425kg/ha. For IPM and as part of Teagasc research, I have aphid yellow traps in the spring barley. Interestingly, having counted up to 500 insects during the critical period, they have found only one aphid capable of spreading virus. Therefore, no aphicide was applied, which is great for maintaining the biodiversity on my farm.
Fertiliser applications
Fertiliser applications are up to date. I am not in favour of blended Urea + Sulphur. I find it impossible to spread accurately, and so this season I have spread almost all Urea + S as the CCF product YaraVera AmiPro (40% N + 5.6% S) which spread perfectly. My total nitrogen rates for the winter crops ended up at 195kg/ha for winter barley, 205kg/ha for winter wheat, and 180kg/ha for oilseed rape. Phosphorus and potash were spread through variable rate as per soil test requirements.
Spraying
Spraying is also on track. Winter barley has stayed very clean so far with no signs of take all or ramularia yet since the final fungicide.
Some tramlines trials - where I turned off the sprayer when applying aphicide last autumn - show little difference, if any, to BYDV compared to the sprayed ones.
Winter wheat flag leaf spray is due from the 16th of May. Many crops in my area had yellow rust in late March and into April, I feel I was lucky to survive this as it could have been a major problem only for two nights of hard frost in early April which I feel slowed it down enough to get proper control with the leaf 3 timing fungicide on the 24th of April. I used Alonty XL at 1.5 L/ha and Folpet at 1.5 L/ha. I intend to apply 1.5 L/ha Peacoq + 1.0 L/ha Croton and 1.5 L/ha Folpet for the flag leaf spray, which should control any septoria and rust.
I have not sprayed my oilseed rape at petal fall, as there is a very low risk of disease with this dry weather. This year I am trialling some foliar N at the end of the petal fall on some tramlines to see if will it make a difference. If you don’t try, then you won’t know if something works on your farm or not.
Vincent Macken is a Signpost Tillage Farmer, working closely with Signpost Tillage Advisor, John Mahon, and local Teagasc Advisor SeanOg McCormack.
Find out more about the Teagasc Signpost Programme and the farmers enrolled here.
The above article first appeared in the Farming Independent.