My Farming Year by John Dunne
Savour the Golden Year
No two years are the same as they say and looking back at 2022 as tillage farmers, we can certainly say that it was a golden year. The “holy grail” of weather, yields and harvest prices combined to deliver some of the highest profit margins that have ever been seen on Irish tillage farms. Growers received a very just reward for their toil and risk taking and it acts as a great motivation to push on in subsequent years. It is true to say that such a good year can be further appreciated if you have experienced the tough years like 2009, 2012 etc.
On the flip side, we must remember that many a good party is followed by a painful hangover and getting through that can be challenging. The hangover has come in the form of greatly reduced grain prices and high input costs. Throw in difficult autumn and spring planting weather and it can quickly focus the mind to doing what we can to achieve an actual margin.
De-Risk and using the Tools that are Provided.
I will admit that I am a worrier by nature, the “worry gene” came from my mother and I can see it in one of my daughters now too! I have successfully dealt with this trait over the years by risk measuring and planning to remove risk as much as is practical. Farming by its very nature is a risky career, the vagaries of weather and markets can quickly conspire against us, however – we must accept some risk to make a margin and to progress the farm business.
My approach to tillage farming is to have a relatively simple farm consisting of a rotation that optimises yield performance of each crop to deliver a reliable and hopefully high profit margin for the time invested. I will look after the land and give crops what I think they need to achieve their potential. Over the years, this system has delivered for us. The following points are some of the tools that I see as being important to de-risk a tillage farming system.
Rotation & Crop Choice
Our farm has evolved from a continuous spring barley system to one which maximises winter wheat and broad leaf break crops such as WOSR and beans. As discussed in last years open day book, I like wheat for its ability to deal with tough conditions and its ability to deliver margin.
The profit potential of wheat was evidenced in 2022 where its high output was able to take advantage of the high prices on offer. As detailed on the margins section of this book, winter wheat still has the potential to give a good profit margin relative to other cereals even in this year of lower grain prices and high costs. The broad leaf break crops have many benefits, they benefit the following cereal and are useful for spreading workload. They move the goal posts for grass weeds and can be quite profitable in their own right. Beans in particular are an attractive crop in 2023 due to the protein payment and some strong forward selling opportunities.
Cultivation Systems & Crop Establishment
Preparing the soil for the planting of the crop is one of the most important days in the life of a crop and we only get one chance per year. As a wise young Ag Science student (Joe Millerick, 2013) once said to me: “a seedbed is probably called that for a reason”, the seed bed should be a comfortable place for the seed and free from threats.
No particular method of crop establishment should be dismissed out of hand and while I am a firm fan of the plough, we frequently use strip tillage for some crops. The plough’s ability to dry land when needed, undo compaction and mechanically reduce some pest, disease and weed threats makes it more relevant to IPM in the Irish climate than some would give it credit for.
Choosing the right genetics and harness the potential.
The Irish climate has the potential to produce some of the highest crop yields in the world. I am a firm believer that we should aim to harness this potential. Not only are higher yields closely tied to higher crop profit margins, but higher yields also make the most efficient use of productive land and inputs. Some commentators would prefer to pull us back into the romanticised past in terms of agricultural production, but they would be well advised to consider that food will need to be produced somewhere, if not on a productive Irish field, then on a former rainforest somewhere. Look at the numbers, not the story book pictures……
Choosing the right varieties to harness the potential of your farm is a vital foundation for the success of each harvest. As someone who is involved in the development of new varieties, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to see new varieties at an early stage and to meet breeders to discuss their latest developments.
The work that these breeders are doing is the life blood of our tillage farming businesses. Not only do we need increased yields, but pests and diseases adapt, and we need new varieties to stay a step ahead. The level of investment by these breeding companies runs into millions of euros each year and is quite impressive when you see it. Talented people, glasshouses, and computer predictive breeding, not to mention the potential use of Gene Editing.
Recent examples of these new genetic traits are MLO mildew resistance in barley, BYDV tolerance in winter barley, BYDV resistance in winter wheat and Turnip Yellows Virus Resistance in WOSR. Not only do these traits increase yield, but they also remove risk from the farming system.
Onwards and Upwards
I am very optimistic about the future of tillage farming in Ireland. Perhaps this is the enthusiasm of youth, but I think not (I’m closer to 50 than 40 now). We are surrounded by a tillage industry that is passionate about what they do. Such passion is impossible to measure and does not fit on an economists’ spreadsheet, but it is this passion that drives us forward to be best at what we do. We can all strive to become the best by paying attention to good advice and following the science.
Someone must be the best, why can’t it be you?
Article by John Dunne, Goldcrop Ltd.
Goldcrop