crops programme

John CrowleyCarrigoon, Mallow, Co. Cork.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

George and Ken Williamson, Ambrosetown, Duncormick, Wexford

Thursday 21 June 2012

Joe O’Donoghue, Glassmerry House, Herbertstown, Stamullen, Co. Meath

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Teagasc BeTTer farm Crops Open Days

CropsEnvironment& Land UseProgramme

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Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................... 3

Cork.Crops.BETTER.farm................................................................................ 4

Wexford.Crops.BETTER.farm......................................................................... 6

Meath.Crops.BETTER.farm............................................................................. 8

Soil.Fertility.Management............................................................................ 10

Crop.Variety.Evaluation................................................................................ 13

Nitrogen.for.Crops......................................................................................... 14

Septoria.Resistance.and.Control................................................................. 16

Oilseed.Rape.Agronomy............................................................................... 18

Machinery,.Fuel.Cost.and.Land.Distance.Cost........................................... 20

Greenhouse.gas.emissions.and.the.Carbon.footprint.of.Tillage.Crops... 22

Safety.and.Health.for.Tillage.Farmers........................................................ 24

Guidelines.for.Grain.Ventilation.Systems.................................................. 26.

Pesticide,.Registration.and.Control.Division.............................................. 28

Share.Farming............................................................................................... 30

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Crops BETTER Farm Programme

(Business, Environment and Technology through Training Extension and Research)

The Teagasc Crops BETTER farm programme aims to assist Irish tillage farmers to avail of cutting edge farm technology and business methods, to improve profitability and to develop links between research, advice and tillage farms.

Teagasc advisors, specialists and researchers are working with selected farmers to look at all areas of their production systems and by implementing the latest technologies and research, ensure maximum efficiency is achieved. These farms will become a benchmark for efficient production and for transferring knowledge to other farmers. The objectives of the programme are; to transfer knowledge to growers effectively at a local level, improve and develop existing methods/practices of production and also improving the adoption of new technology.

This programme will also capitalise on the integration of research and advice where a rapid technology transfer can take place while ensuring a two-way information flow including rapid identification of research issues and opportunities.

The programme focuses on increasing farm output and reducing production costs. Areas of particular interest include; soil management, agronomy, forward planning in areas such as machinery replacement, agro-chemicals, fertiliser, etc with the intention of increasing margins over input costs, profits, etc.

Since 2009, over 1000 tillage farmers, agronomists, students and trade personnel have attended events organised on the BETTER farms. These events are organised to be timely and focussed on transferring the latest technology out to end users, while also allowing feedback from end users into the crops research program in Oak Park. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine have tested cereal varieties in replicated plots on each of the BETTER farms and at the same time, preferred varieties have been trialled by the BETTER farmers in large scale field evaluation strips. Various crop inputs (fertiliser, herbicides, fungicides etc) have also been tested by Teagasc research and specialist staff in replicated trials. These plots have been the focus of much debate and interest also amongst the visitors to the farms. The wide soil and climatic variations amongst the three BETTER farms ensures that input strategies are robustly tested in the small plots but the plots can also be debated amongst local growers.

Introduction

Tim O’Donovan, Michael Hennessy and Jim O’Mahony

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The Crowley farm is run on a full time basis by John and Denis (brothers) with the help of their father Denis senior.

Traditionally the farm was heavily involved in sugar beet production and the loss of this crop brought about a substantial change in the farming system. As well as the inevitable financial loss, farm rotation also suffered and winter cereals are now the main focus.

John and Denis are the two main labour units on the farm with some additional help at harvest and planting. Therefore efficiency of operation is the key to completing the necessary farm operations in a timely manner.

The farm size is 392 hectares – (339ha owned & 53ha rented/leased). Soil type varies with location across the different farms from medium to heavy. A small portion of the land is used for livestock.

Breakdown of 2012 land use on Crowley farm

Cropping Area 2012 (Ha)Winter wheat 210 Winter barley 150Spring barley 24WOSR 8

The Crowley’s holding extends across North Cork and South Tipperary within a radius of 50 miles from their base in Mallow. All grain is stored and dried before sale to maximise returns. The Crowley’s forward sell some of their grain every year and have constructed additional grain stores to enable them to store most of the grain produced on the farm. One of the main challenges on the farm over the coming years is to maintain yields with their current rotation. Winter oilseed rape has been planted this year to access its profitability and to investigate its benefit to the overall rotation.

Cork Crops BETTER farm

Teagasc Adviser, Ciaran Collins

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The Wexford Crops BETTER farm is run by George and Ken Williamson. This father and son operation, in South Wexford, is a typical farming operation of the area and they farm a combination of winter and spring crops with some contracting as part of their business. The soil type is mainly heavy to medium.

The Williamsons rent approx. 75% of the 145 ha farmed and carry out a range of contracting services locally from ploughing and sowing cereals to beet harvesting. There is a range of winter and spring crops on the farm with winter wheat and spring barley having the larger sown areas. There is also some miscanthus grown which supplies Wexgen a local energy company that processes miscanthus into briquettes for domestic use.

A switch to more

winter cereals on the farm over the past three years has increased farm profitability while also spreading work load and risk at harvest. Winter oilseed rape is planted on the farm for the first time in 2012 due to its attractive margins and creating more opportunities for winter wheat, its area is likely to increase in 2013 for the same reasons.

Wexford Crops BETTER farm

Teagasc Adviser, John Pettit

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Joe O’Donoghue, with his brother Colm, are full time farmers in the Meath Dublin catchment. Over 85% of their land is rented with most of the land in smaller parcels spreads up to 34 km from their base in Stamullen, Co Meath.

Access to a stable and affordable land bank continues to be a challenge to the O Donoghues. In the last three years approximately one third of the land farmed has been secured with longer term leases and/or share farm arrangements. Fragmentation and distances between farm parcels is being addressed through sourcing of land closer to the home base.

The system of land rental hiders a rotation across the entire land base therefore continuous winter wheat and spring barley feature strongly. Yields of both crops have increased over the past three years with common costs reducing.

Despite the land pressure challenges the O’Donoghues have increased farmed area while adjusting cropping plan to better utilise existing machinery through a longer sowing and harvesting period. Finally, the next generation of O’Donoghues are part of the farm business and the transition is helped by the use of separate financial commitments and a share responsibility of farm management through the year.

Meath Crops BETTER farm

Teagasc Adviser, Shay Phelan

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Over the last 3 years an intensive soil testing programme has been carried out as part of the tillage Better farms programme. During that time farm P and K balances were calculated to determine the effectiveness of fertiliser programmes.

Cork farm The soils are light to medium textured which are managed in large continuous winter / spring cereal blocks. Soil test results indicate that soil fertility on the lighter types (sandy loam) have changed significantly over the last 3 years with soil P and K levels declining by an average of 2 mg/l and 30 mg/l, respectively. • Lighter soils have less nutrient

retention than a more clay rich loamy soil.

• High yields of winter barley (10t/ha plus) have resulted in removal of significant quantities of P and K annually.

• Additional K applications as Muriate of potash (50% K) once every 2 years to balance crop K requirements.

• Soils will be re sampled (after harvest) to monitor soil P and K levels.

Wexford farm The soils are heavy clay loams with good moisture and nutrient retention with the potential to produce very high yielding crops. The crop rotation has changed from mainly spring crops to include more winter

crops which have had a significant effect on fertiliser planning.Fertiliser / trace element programmes are put in place at the start of each season and fertilisers are selected on the basis of soil and crop nutrient requirements. Over the past 3 years soil fertility levels have remained relatively stable.• Additional P and K applied to

build low fertility fields • Planned P and K applications

to balance crop rotational requirements

• Fertiliser compounds formulated to best match crop P and K requirements

• Trace elements applied based on soil test results

Meath FarmThe soils are medium to heavy textured soils which are moderately to well drained. The rotation on this farm is mainly continuous wheat and barley with some break crops such as winter oilseed rape. Over the last 3 years soil fertility levels have remained stable on this farm with little or no changes in soil P and K levels.• Fertilisers are selected to meet

crop P and K requirements.• The aim is to identify soil fertility

issues and improve soil nutrient levels over a 4 to 5 year period.

• P and K is incorporated for spring barley production

• Trace elements are applied based on soil test results

Soil Fertility Management

Mark Plunkett

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As part of its Statutory obligation under EU Legislation, the DAFM carries out National List Trials on all the major crops grown in Ireland. In addition to its Statutory function, the Department goes a step further and carries out an enhanced programme of Recommended List Trials. These trials provide a comprehensive guide for Irish farmers in choosing the most suitable varieties for growing in Ireland. The Crop Variety Evaluation work provides an independent and important service whereby farmers can be confident that the recommended varieties perform well under a wide range of growing conditions.

Cereal variety trials are carried out in the principal production areas of the country to assess varieties for characteristics of economic benefit to farmers. The trials are carried out on Department managed sites plus a number of farms specially selected with the cooperation of Teagasc.

Recommended varieties are evaluated for a minimum of 3 years and are assessed for yield, quality and agronomic characteristics. The trials are carried out over a wide geographic spread so that differences in climate, soil type, and other factors, are taken into account. Varieties deemed suitable for inclusion on the Recommended Lists are those varieties which have shown superior merit over a number of years in the Department’s Variety Evaluation Programme. Growers should give preference to the varieties listed on the Recommended List unless there is strong evidence that some other variety registered on the National Catalogue of Agricultural Plant Varieties is more suited to their conditions.

Crop Variety Evaluation

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

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Nitrogen is a key nutrient for crop production. However loss of nitrogen from crop systems to the environment can have deleterious effects. Therefore for both economic and environmental reasons applications of N to crops should be optimised.

Current work on winter wheat is examining the optimum rate and the optimum splitting regime for fertiliser N. While the work is not completed results to date would suggest that current allowed rates are sufficient to attain high yields and that differences between splitting regimes are relatively small and inconsistent. Initial results from work examining the effect of different start dates for nitrogen on wheat would suggest that delaying the first N until GS 30 may be beneficial in terms of yield. Current work is also aiming to achieve a better understanding of the supply of N from the soil with a view to more accurately estimating N release from soils with different histories.

Work on spring barley is focused on determining the optimum N for yield in both feed and malting barley. The effects of increasing fertiliser N

rates are being examined in terms of their agronomic and environmental effects. The work is also examining the optimum timing and splitting of N to achieve adequate protein in malting barley. A survey of growers crops is being carried out to develop an understanding of factors influencing yield and protein in barley in commercial crops.

• Preliminary results indicate that current allowed fertiliser N rates are sufficient for winter wheat

• There appears little difference between different splitting regimes in terms of yield in winter wheat

• It is too early to draw any firm conclusions from the spring barley work but initial indications are that• In a dry season timing of N has

little effect on grain yield• Delaying some N on malting

crops until GS 32-37 can have a positive effect on protein

• Protein levels are higher on land that has received repeated applications of organic manures or that has been recently in grass

Nitrogen for Crops

Richie Hackett

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N for S. Barley

Questions:

Are N recommendations sufficient for yield?

What factors influence proteins in barley?

Plot experiments Effect of N amount, timing and splitting on grain yield and protein

Environmental effects of altered N inputs

Survey of commercial crops- spatial variation in protein contents- effect of soil characteristics,

field historycrop managementseasonal factors

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Perched on the north-west of Europe Ireland enjoys a mild maritime climate. With the combination an abundance of water and mild temperatures throughout the year Irish cereal crops yield amongst the highest worldwide. Unfortunately it is these same conditions that promote the spread and development of cereal diseases. On wheat alone upwards of €12 million is spent annually on fungicides to control diseases that reduce grain yield and quality. The bulk of these costs are targeted on Septoria tritici. With the need to protect the upper three leaves from S. tritici attack three- four fungicide applications are now commonplace on winter wheat crops. The emergence of fungicide resistance within this pathogen therefore represents a serious concern for the future economic viability of this production system. Following the emergence of resistance to the strobilurin fungicides monitoring of the Irish S. tritici population by Teagasc has detected reductions in the sensitivity of S. tritici to the triazole fungicides, including the shift in 2004/2005 to tebuconazole and metconazole

and more recently in 2008/2009 to prothioconazole and epoxiconazole. In terms of disease control these recent reductions in sensitivity have affected the performance of the solo triazole products, particularly under curative conditions. The 2011 season saw the commercial release of the next generation of SDHI fungicides. Whilst providing a much needed addition to the fungicide chemistries available for Septoria control the SDHIs are single site actives and are regarded as being at a risk for resistance development. Hence they will need to be protected and their use as mixtures with triazoles and with a multisite fungicide is strongly recommended.

• Strains of S. tritici with reduced triazole sensitivity are now widespread

• No resistance to the SDHI fungicides has been detected yet

• Whilst the SDHIs do provide additional disease control above the triazoles correct fungicide timings are still essential

Septoria Resistance & Control

Steven Kildea & Liz Glynn

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Including a non-cereal break crop into the rotation invariably has a beneficial effect on following cereal crops but also provides a good opportunity to clean up grass weeds. At current prices oilseed rape is a good option and with careful management 5 t/ha or more is possible. It is not a difficult crop to manage if you follow some basic rules. Establishing an even crop that is not too thick in soil that will allow the crop to put its roots down is the first objective.

From then on avoiding getting the crop canopy too thick is usually the key to getting good yields; thicker crops invariably yield poorly because of seed and pod abortion. Crops which come through the winter with a thick canopy should be seen as an

opportunity to delay and possibly reduce the nitrogen applied and will likely respond to PGR use. Yield can be a serious yield robber in oilseed rape and light leaf spot and phoma the 2 most serious foliar diseases if at threshold level in the autumn they need treating immediately with a follow up in the spring if they reach threshold again. Sclerotinia can be a serious threat to yield if it is present and the weather conditions are right, but a single spray at full flower is usually enough to provide good control.

Oilseed Rape Agronomy

John Spink

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Roots sensitive to compaction – deep cultivations may be needed

Drill early – Pigeons, weed competition, N scavenging

Establish 30 plants/m2 in spring

Against:

Winter Oilseed Rape

Moderately sized crops yield best

Target canopy size 3.5 GAI at start of flowering

Need 50 kgN/ha from soil or fertiliserto make 1 GAI

Fertiliser ~ 60% efficient

Need an additional 60kg fertiliser N per tonne of yield over 3.5t/ha applied late

Average benefit 0.36 t/ha and -9% CO2 cost

Establishment

N management

Phoma (10-20% plants infected) and LLS (>25% plants infected) treat in autumn

Follow up in spring if re-infection

Sclerotinia spray at early petal fall if history in area

Against:

Winter Oilseed Rape

Tebuconazole and metconazole effective growth regulators

Spring PGR needed on crops greater than 1 GAI in mid-March

Optimum timing ~green bud

Fungicide use

PGR use

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Machinery accounts for about 40% of production costs on tillage farms with fuel now a significant cost at about €85/ha. Cost control is essential and there is scope to reduce fuel costs. Energy reduction strategies which reduce fuel costs can also reduce machinery depreciation, repairs and even labour costs. The first step in tackling fuel costs is to quantify your own fuel use. The fuel saving options to consider will depend on their suitability for the growers own circumstances (e.g min-till not suitable in many situations). The following should be considered:

• Change of system: e.g. adopt min-till. This level of change needs to be carefully considered however.

• Machine setting: Reduce working depth; Optimise settings

• Select fuel-efficient tractors and machines

• Match machines within system and operate efficiently in the field.

Time spent on the road with machinery is a considerable cost in labour, fuel, depreciation and

running costs. Where road travel is significant, machine capacity has to be increased to get critical tasks completed without timeliness penalties. This impacts on growers trying to achieve scale by renting land in fields or blocks at a distance from their base farm. A costing exercise was carried out using the distances from one of the BETTER farms, but assuming winter wheat was grown on all the land. While this is a preliminary estimate, the exercise showed a considerable variation in machinery costs depending on the size of the block and the distance to be travelled. The messages are:

• Estimates of the cost of farming land at a distance are complex but should be made

• These costs should be taken into account when considering land rental

• A net reduction in costs would be achieved if all growers strived to work close to their own base.

Machinery: Fuel costs and Land distance costs

Dermot Forristal

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Irish agriculture faces the twin challenges of delivering on Food Harvest 2020 targets whilst simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions. Under the EU 2020 Climate and Energy Package and its associated Burden-sharing agreement, Ireland has been set a 20% reduction target for its non-Emission Traded Sectors (EU 2010). Reducing the emissions associated with a given amount of agricultural product (the Carbon Footprint) allows the farmer to maintain production whilst impacting on emissions. In addition, both consumers and retailers are demanding that a) there is some guarantee that produce is sustainable and b) that this is measurable in some way (ie labelling of produce).

The C footprint of cereal crops are lower that those of meat or milk produce and are essentially driven by a) nitrous oxide emissions associated with the manufacture and application of fertilisers and b) the crop yields. The Irish C footprint of cereals is generally good as yields are high. However the C footprint can be

further reduced by either • Improving fertiliser efficiency

– better matching of fertiliser application to crop requirement

• Proper maintenance of machinery to ensure that fertiliser spreading is as optimal as possible

• Switching from CAN to urea + urease inhibitors to prevent volatilisation.

• Maximising yields – particularly optimising weed and pest management.

• Reducing soil organic carbon loss – opting for minimum tillage on suitable soils can reduce SOC loss and reduce fuel emissions

• Improved Harvest Index in new cultivars can help lower C footprints

Greenhouse gas emissions and the Carbon footprint of Tillage Crops

Gary Lanigan

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Your safety and health is crucial attribute. Injury and occupational Ill Health, cause pain and suffering and can impact negatively on a farmer’s lifestyle and capacity to effectively operate a farm. In 2012, 5 farm deaths have taken place to 31st May (provisional figure). A Teagasc National Survey in 2011 indicates that 6.7% of tillage farmers suffered serious injury of the previous six year period.

A Code of Practice for Preventing Injury and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture has been introduced under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2005). The Code includes a Risk Assessment Document which can be completed as an alternative to preparing a written Safety Statement for farms with three or less employees. Completing this document and acting on it is the best approach to manage Safety and Health. Teagasc provides short half-day training courses on complying with safety and health legislation.

Research conducted by Teagasc on Safety and Health shows that:

• Tillage farms have reduced injury levels and now have less (85%) than for all farm systems.

• 55% of tillage farms have completed the Risk Assessment/ and 25% have completed H&S Training.

• Farmers have a high level of physical injuries with 56% reporting a bone, joint or muscle problems in the previous year and 38% reporting back pain

• 36% of farmers do not wear protective clothing when handling/pouring chemicals.

Safety and Health for Tillage Farmers

John McNamara

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Ventilation system (in particular its capacity) should be planned to match the expected grain moisture, storage depth and building dimensions• Ventilation rate should match

expected intake moisture content as per Table 1

• Fans and ducting should be capable of delivering target ventilation rate

• Fans should be specified to match crop resistance roughly as per Table 2, with some additional allowance for duct pressure loss

• All ducting should be sized to keep air speeds below 10m/s

Storage of dried grain:• Is there adequate drying capacity

for all the grain to be stored?• Overall ventilation rate should be

at least 10 m3/h tonne (5 cfm/t)• Differential thermostat or

time switch controls are recommended

• Some temperature monitoring capability is essential

• Pedestals are acceptable for this application, if they deliver the ventilation rate specified in Table 1. The ratio of pedestals to fans should be sufficient for easy management, but should not exceed four

Air extraction from building:• All stores should make some

provision for ventilation of the space above the grain. In most cases, stores should have an extraction fan in one gable wall and a matching air inlet in the opposite gable

• The extraction fan capacity should be sufficient to prevent condensation on grain surface and roof while ventilating

• The air inlet should have sufficient open area to facilitate the air change rate required to control condensation

Guidelines for Grain Ventilation Systems

Tom Ryan

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Intake moisture content Minimum ventilation rate needed (%) M3 /h t cfm/t <16 10 5 16-20 35 20 20-22 70 40 22-24 150-180 80-100

Table 2: Approximate resistance to airflow in stored cereals Ventilation Grain depth (m) rate 2 3 4 5 6 m3/h t Airflow resistance (mm w.g.) 10 2 4 8 13 18 20 4 9 17 27 39 30 6 14 26 42 62 40 8 20 36 59 88 50 11 25 47 77 116 60 13 31 59 97 147 70 16 37 71 118 180 80 18 44 84 140 215

Main DuctsUsually governed by the fact that access is needed to open and close laterals. A size of 2m x 1m would be typical. The structure must have no unintended leaks or restrictions. The maximum air speed should be no more than 10m/s.

Table 3: Duct spacing (general guidelines)

5-10 cfm/t - Lateral ducts spacing cooling should not exceed the depth of grain 20 cfm/t - Lateral ducts shouldholding to be spaced at aboutnew year half the depth of grain Up to 100 cfm/t 0.9m centre to drying centre

When it comes to lateral duct spacing - err on the safe side. Grain height should not exceed 3.0 m in bulk on floor stores. As storage depth increases a disproportional increase in fan capacity is needed because of increased resistance and a greater need for increased air flow rate.

Further informationTeagasc have calculators for lateral duct size and the reinforcing steel quantities and distribution for grain store retaining wallsRelevant specifications S109, S100, S101 and S102 are available on the DAFM website.

Table 1: Ventilation rates required to cope with expected intake moisture content

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The Pesticide Registration and Control Division (PRCD) is a unit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The unit is based on Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

The unit is involved in the evaluation of pesticide active substances and the registration of pesticides. Pesticides include both plant protection products (PPPs) e.g. herbicides and biocides e.g. rodenticides and wood preservatives.Increasingly, registration of PPPs is harmonised within EU zones. This means faster access to new PPPs for farmers and greater harmonisation of the product portfolio available to Irish and UK farmers.

Approximately 1300 food and feed samples are analysed each year for pesticide residues. Where non registered products are used or where registered products are used inappropriately, excessive residues will be found.

Samples of pesticides are analysed to verify that they comply with the conditions of registration e.g. that the active substance level is as declared on the label. Inspections are completed at wholesalers, retailers and end users of pesticides. Both records and storage conditions are examined. Under Cross Compliance, over 10% of farmers inspected receive a financial penalty under SMR 9 which deals with pesticides.

The Sustainable Use Directive comes into force in 2012. Under

this EU legislation, there will be a requirement for operator training and sprayer testing.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a legal requirement. However, the vast majority of growers already practise IPM by using reduced dose rates, tank mixing, rotation and choosing resistant varieties, where available.

Adherence to buffer zones will be enforced under Cross Compliance. Many widely used PPPs have a buffer zone requirement. This means these products may not be used within a certain distance of any type of water course.

Accurate, comprehensive records will be required to verify the appropriate use of PPPs and adherence to IPM principles.

Biocides such as dairy detergents, wood preservatives and rodenticides must be stored in appropriate conditions and their used must be recorded.

The list of registered PPPs is located at: http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/db.htm

The list of registered biocides is located at: http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/biocides.htm

Pesticide Registration and Control Division (PRCD) may be contacted at pcs@agriculture.gov.ie or 01 6157552

Pesticide Registration and Control Division

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Share Farming

Michael Hennessy

Teagasc has recently launched a new format for farmers to co-operate in business called Share Farming. Share Farming is an agreement between two individuals (or two businesses) to jointly manage a farming operation. This legal agreement allows both the grower and the landowner to farm as separate businesses but share in the risks and rewards of growing crops. As both individuals remain separate business entities, they can continue to claim the Single Farm Payment, REPS, etc. in their own name as normal.

Key points:• Share Farming is fully compliant

with EU/DAFM schemes (incl. REPS)

• The agreement is not land rental or a Partnership Agreement

• The output generated from the land are to reward the

• Landowner for the land, labour and inputs supplied

• Share farmer for labour, expertise and inputs supplied

• Both parties are separate business entities and must not open or operate joint accounts to run the farming operation

Tillage growers and landowners who are currently involved in land rental should familiarise themselves with this agreement and assess whether it is a viable option for the future.

A template of a Share Farm Agreement is available (www.teagasc.ie) and sets out how an example agreement can operate. Contact your local advisor for more details.

Share Farming

Important Principals

Business are equals & risk takers

No rent or fixed payments

Each can sell produce as he feels fit

Each responsible for his own costs

Each works out his own profit

How to set up an agreement?• Both parties must agree on:

• crop budgets & agreement term• sharing input/output• individual responsibilities

• Appoint facilitator• Consult appropriate advisors• Complete legal document

– 7 main tables

• At year end – finalise accounts and review

crops programme

Farm BETTERwith Teagasc

“The Teagasc Advisory and Education Service provides professional and

research-backed advice that is focussed on profitability and sustainability.”Dr Tom Kelly,�Director, Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc

Advice and supportOffice consultations

Farm visits (per contract)Discussion Groups (BTAP/DEP)

Financial planningTraining courses

Cost control planners

Single Payment applicationsProfit monitors

Environmental adviceSoil and grass analysisMonthly newsletters

Today’s FarmJoint programmes with industry

Our services to farmers include:

and access to farm walks, demonstrationsand public events

Contact your local Teagasc office or see www.teagasc.ieLarry O’Loughlin, Regional Manager, Laois/Kildare/Meath/Louth/Dublin

Teagasc_Larry'sAdvertA5_AW_Layout 1 01/06/2012 17:10 Page 1

Acknowledgement

Teagasc thanks the Crowley, Williamson and O’Donoghue families for their time and hard work in the successful implementation of

the BETTER farm Crops programme.