{"id":1264471,"date":"2024-04-03T06:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T05:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=1264471"},"modified":"2024-04-02T16:45:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T15:45:13","slug":"planting-window-for-spring-beans-wheat-and-oats-fast-diminishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/planting-window-for-spring-beans-wheat-and-oats-fast-diminishing\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Planting window\u2019 for spring beans, wheat and oats fast diminishing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tillage specialists are confirming that the opportunity to get viable crops of spring beans, wheat, and oats into the ground is fast reducing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Teagasc\u2019s head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, Michael Hennessy, the yield potential of crops such as spring beans, wheat and oats is very dependent on planting date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd this is very much the case, once we get into April. Spring barley is much more flexible in this regard,” he told Agriland<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt is more than feasible to plant barley crops through until the end of this month and still expect a decent harvest yield. This assumes that growing conditions remain acceptable throughout the season.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHowever, the same cannot be said for a range of other spring crops. Growers wanting to grow beans, wheat and oats need to avail of a planting opportunity in the very near future,” he told Agriland<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring beans, wheat and oats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Teagasc representative, growing a range of spring crops delivers a range of benefits for tillage farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe availability of the protein aid payment makes beans a very attractive option. And where oats are concerned, the premium market price available for the grain again ticks lots of boxes with farmers,” Hennessy continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBut the over-riding benefit of growing a selection of spring crops is the range of harvest dates this approach can offer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPutting the entire focus on April-sown spring barley leads to a very short harvest window in September. This is a time of year when weather conditions can be very unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe restricted supply of spring cereal seed is another reason why tillage farmers should seek to diversify their spring planting options in whatever ways are possible,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regional differences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Michael Hennessy indicated that some farmers have been able to get on with some planting work in drier parts of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut where heavier ground predominates and, in particular, where spring crops will follow late harvested crops such as potatoes and beet, the waiting continues,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLying water is still a feature in some fields. Drying out can only take place when evapotranspiration and drainage rates exceed rainfall levels. And this has yet to happen in many parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As the days pass and opportunities to plant combinable spring crops reduce, the potential to look at crop silages is an option that can be availed off by tillage farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hennessy views the possibility of growing later planted spring wheat crops with this objective in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s little doubt that whole crop wheat is a very attractive winter forage source for large numbers of dairy and livestock farmers,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n