Ploughing through the regulations
Most match organisers are taking no chances with the regulations in Ireland, as they apply to ploughing.
These regulations require green cover from a sown crop within six weeks, if arable land is ploughed between July 1 and January 15.
As a result, many of the County Cork championship ploughing matches, which usually took place in the winter months, have been deferred until after January 15.
However, the Macroom Ploughing Match in west Cork is due to go ahead next Sunday.
* Meanwhile, the New Year has brought welcome relief to many livestock farmers whose slurry tanks were rapidly filling. Farms, which do not have their required slurry storage in place, were prohibited from spreading slurry or farmyard manure in November or December. Farms which have enough slurry storage cannot spread until January 12, 15 or 31, depending on which part of the country they are in.
But hopes of a more flexible slurry spreading regulation than the current “closed period” will be explored later this month, when experts get together at a meeting on “Making Science Work on the Farm”.
According to Teagasc, it is not uncommon that ground and weather conditions have been more suitable for spreading slurry within the closed period, than in the weeks after it. Currently, tools are being developed that could be important for the review of the Nitrates Action Plan in four years time.
At a workshop on January 25, the challenge will be to develop Decision Support Systems for Irish agriculture, based on sound science, but which are also user friendly.
Taking part at the Teagasc Environmental Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, will be the Agricultural Meteorology section of Met Éireann, and advisors, farmers and scientists.
