The warm weather in recent days has already had an effect on seed crops across the country, with this year’s harvest likely to surpass expectations.
Donal Fitzgerald, Deputy President of the Irish Seed Trade Association and General Manager for arable seed in Goldcrop told Agriland: “The most welcome development is the climatic one – the recent spell of dry warm weather. This year’s seed crops may exceed expectations. The sunshine has been transforming mediocre crops to ones with yield potential above what we expected.”
“Every crop has been doing well, but maize crops have really turned inside out in the last fortnight. Maize loves high temperatures and warm sunshine so is growing at an unbelievable rate. I can see the difference every day on my drive into work.”
The Irish Seed Trade open day took place earlier this week at the Department of Agriculture & Food (DAFM) Ballyderown Farm. Among the attendance were agro chemical and animal feed suppliers (Brett Bros, Dairygold Coop, Glanbia,  Grennans, Red Mills etc), cereal growers, crop consultants, DAFM personnel, food industry (DIAGEO, Flahavans, Glanbia Plc, Odlums etc), Irish Farmers Association representatives, Teagasc specialists, seed suppliers (Germinal, Goldcrop, RAGT Seeds, Seedtech, Syngenta etc) , trade personnel from agribusiness sectors in Britain and Ireland.
Crops on trial with excellent results included winter/spring barley, oats and wheat plus forage maize, oilseed rape and grass/clover varieties.
Pictured at the Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA) in conjunction with the Dept of Agriculture cereal trials open day are speaker Seamus Kearney, Department of Agriculture addressing members of the seed trade beside a crop of ripening winter barley
