The future of the tillage sector

MF 698T said:
Ive just been approached by a Dairy farmer who wants me to grow him 30 acres of maize under plastic .
Will i miss out on the payment ??
And also given the steep input bill for maize what sort of upfront deposit should i ask for ??
I got well scalded before with beet when the purchaser reneged so growing anything you cant put across a merchants weighbridge makes me wary ...
All input appreciated
Thanks in advance .
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Seed, plastic, sprays and pay for the sowing. Sell back on a tonnage bases. That way you can weigh the loads. Normally maize will average 21 ton probably a shade more per ac. Be careful going into a lay field due to wireworm. Slurry and nitrogen after that.
 
IMG_3769.jpegIMG_3777.jpegIMG_3776.jpegIMG_3775.jpegIMG_3774.jpegIMG_3771.jpegIMG_3770.jpegWent to France this week to visit an OSR breeding company.

Some interesting machines. They are using a drone to measure flowering dates and biomass differences between plots.

Land has been very wet there too and both winter and recently planted spring crops showing the signs of it. This was just south of Paris. Fabulous land.
 
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Crops said:
View attachment 136374View attachment 136375View attachment 136376View attachment 136377View attachment 136378View attachment 136379View attachment 136380Went to France this week to visit an OSR breeding company.

Some interesting machines. They are using a drone to measure flowering dates and biomass differences between plots.

Land has been very wet there too and both winter and recently planted spring crops showing the signs of it. This was just south of Paris. Fabulous land.
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Thought I was looking at something from a Guy Ritchie flick from the first photo
 
With a lot of crops being planted in a short time this year, it has struck me more than ever how much tillage is in this part of Cork.

As you leave Cork city and head east and south, the number of brown fields is striking.
The expansion of malting barley in the area has been a very good addition to the area.

Maize, barley, spuds, carrots, beet all being planted in recent days.

The area is definitely not dominated by grass and to me, that’s a good thing.
 
Crops said:
With a lot of crops being planted in a short time this year, it has struck me more than ever how much tillage is in this part of Cork.

As you leave Cork city and head east and south, the number of brown fields is striking.
The expansion of malting barley in the area has been a very good addition to the area.

Maize, barley, spuds, carrots, beet all being planted in recent days.

The area is definitely not dominated by grass and to me, that’s a good thing.
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More noticeable this year as so few winter crops sown so more brown fields this spring and all concentrated in a shorter period. My old lad says there used to be alot more tillage around here back in the 50s and 60s.
On a slight tangent I can think of a stretch of of road a couple miles from me. About 10 years ago there were 5 dairy farms consecutively along the road ranging in size from about 30 cows to about 500. There are 2 now, 2 are all in tillage now, one is gone organic, one sold the herd this spring and the other is contemplating getting out I'm told.
 
Deerehunter said:
More noticeable this year as so few winter crops sown so more brown fields this spring and all concentrated in a shorter period. My old lad says there used to be alot more tillage around here back in the 50s and 60s.
On a slight tangent I can think of a stretch of of road a couple miles from me. About 10 years ago there were 5 dairy farms consecutively along the road ranging in size from about 30 cows to about 500. There are 2 now, 2 are all in tillage now, one is gone organic, one sold the herd this spring and the other is contemplating getting out I'm told.
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Nothing stays the same, to think otherwise would be foolish.

Staying on your tangent, I’m hearing it all over about people getting out of cows, perhaps it’s more talk than reality but it’s easy to see why.

A few years ago, cows were seen as the only show in town but the shine seems to be going off it. Cows are still the most profitable per acre but headwinds are facing them on a number of fronts.
Tillage profitability is nothing to sing about either.
 
Crops said:
Nothing stays the same, to think otherwise would be foolish.

Staying on your tangent, I’m hearing it all over about people getting out of cows, perhaps it’s more talk than reality but it’s easy to see why.

A few years ago, cows were seen as the only show in town but the shine seems to be going off it. Cows are still the most profitable per acre but headwinds are facing them on a number of fronts.
Tillage profitability is nothing to sing about either.
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As regards making a living and return on investment all farming must be very close to the bottom in this country, even the returns from dairy when you take into account the investment needed and hours worked is low enough.
 
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Two dairy farmers local to me. One has taken extra land this year and is taking the extra subs for barley this year and has planted barley for his own use or to the merchants and presumably use the straw themselves. They always bought straw. Another has tilled the entire farm and has gone organic tillage due to the subs as well. And an easier working day/week/year. That will go to merchants or waterford presumably. The organic farmer now was always a vintage enthusiast. And completed all the work themselves. Even down with a MF seeder.
This is a very good minister for agronomists and merchants.
 
Crops said:
ragt.uk

Genserus BYDV Resistance – A Must-have Trait In Winter Wheat, Say Trials Partners - Ragt UK

ragt.uk ragt.uk
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This years wwheat has the worst bydv I’ve ever seen. Anything sown before Xmas got absolutely raped, anything planted after is fine. It’s not so noticeable now that it’s all eared out, but damn, it’s as bad as I’ve ever seen. The sooner that they get the tolerant varieties out, the better.
I must comment on the complete lack of visible signs of bydv in wbarley in contrast to wwheat around here.
Furthermore, hybrid barley is as tough as old boots. A neighbor has a large field beside a river with half in Italian ryegrass and half in hybrid barley..the ryegrass died from continuous flooding, and the barley is a picture without any poor/bare patches whatsoever. If the price of the seed could only come down to commercial farm level it would be a good tool in the toolbox.
 
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