40% more maize but main crops down 5%
An overall decrease of more than 5% in the main tillage crops is indicated in preliminary analysis of BPS applications.
Crops with the biggest acreage falls, according to Teagasc, are winter wheat (down 11%), winter barley (down 13%) and winter oats ( down 30%). Many spring crops are also estimated to have decreased, particularly spring wheat (down 47%), spring oats (down 22%), protein crops (down 38%), and potatoes (down 14%). Crops which have increased include spring barley (up 7%), maize ( up 40%), and beet (up 9%).
Despite delays and weather problems, Teagasc advisers say spring crop establishment is excellent, apart from headlands in some earlier planted crops.
There are reports of leather jacket and slug damage, but barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) poses one of the biggest challenges, for late planted spring barley. Numbers of the aphids that transmit BYDV increase dramatically in May when temperatures increase, so correct timing of an insecticide at the four leaf stage is vital to give the best possible control.
Helping to ease the spring planting setbacks for tillage farmers is good yield potential in winter crops. However, there is significant variation in winter wheat between locations, depending on sowing dates and varieties, and advisers say the flag leaf fungicide timing is vital to counteract the high septoria challenge.
Winter barley crops have remained relatively clean and many crops have received their final fungicide.
Both winter oil seed rape and beans are behind the normally expected growth stages for this time of year.
The area of forage crops has increased, particularly maize and fodder beet, and advisers say there are still opportunities for wholecrop cereals later in the season when livestock farmers have completed their winter forage budgets.
