Blind weeding plus one pass hits 90% weed removal in oat trials

More than 90% weed removal from two well-timed mechanical passes — that was the headline number at Flahavan's annual Organic Oat Growers Conference, held at the Dunamaise Theatre in Portlaoise on October 20.

The result came from Teagasc trials and it matters because weed control, not variety choice or price, is usually what keeps organic tillage farmers awake. Martin Bourke, organic tillage specialist with Teagasc, presented findings from the Organic Tillage & Vegetables European Innovation Partnership (OTV EIP) project, which is testing mechanical weed control, precision technologies, machinery sharing and crop establishment methods.

Bourke said: "As part of the Organic Tillage & Vegetables EIP project, our spring oat trials show the real potential of combining blind weeding with a carefully timed post-emergence pass."

He added: "By tackling weeds early, when they are small and vulnerable, we were able to make the follow-up harrowing much less aggressive while achieving more than 90% weed removal."

Less aggressive harrowing means less crop damage. Simple arithmetic, arguably, but a useful one for growers weighing passes against crop loss.

Who won what?

The conference also handed out hardware. Angus Woods from Co. Wicklow received the Flahavan's Organic Oat Grower of the Year Award 2026 from Johnny Flahavan, the company's head of operations, recognising high-quality organic oat production after what everyone politely called a challenging 2026 harvest.

The backdrop is commercial, not sentimental. Flahavan's has seen a five-fold increase in demand for its organic oats since 2010, driven largely by UK export growth. That demand needs a resilient supply base, and the company used the event to push discussion beyond oats into the wider tillage sector.

Johnny Flahavan said: "Our growers are central to the success of our organic oat business, but many of the challenges and opportunities we face are shared right across Irish tillage and agriculture."

He continued: "We see real value in bringing farmers, researchers, advisers and industry together to share knowledge and practical innovation. Whether that's improving crop performance, developing more effective weed management techniques or identifying new markets, there is a wider opportunity for Irish agriculture to benefit from this work."

What does the variety research show?

Dr. Cathal McCabe of University College Dublin outlined two research programmes: the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-funded HOPE project and the EU INTERREG-funded HealthyOat project.

McCabe said: "Through the DAFM-funded HOPE project and the EU INTERREG-funded HealthyOat project, we have identified a diverse range of oat varieties with the potential to offer benefits for human health while reducing environmental impact."

His verdict: "This research points to exciting opportunities for the future of oat production." A researcher calling something exciting is, of course, its own genre. But varieties that combine health credentials with lower environmental impact are precisely what export-led demand rewards.

Markets, mills and a closed scheme

Delegates also worked through the less glamorous questions — chiefly, where the crops go. Discussion covered:

• Reliable commercial outlets for crops within organic tillage rotations
• A proposed dedicated organic feed mill in Ireland, which would create a domestic market for organic cereals and support demand for Irish-produced organic livestock feed
• Closer links between tillage and livestock farming, including the work of the Organic Beef and Lamb Industry Group (OBLIG)

The policy picture drew attention too. The Organic Farming Scheme did not reopen to new applicants in 2026, which rather limits the pipeline of new growers just as demand grows. Delegates considered the potential role of the Organic Processing Investment Grant in supporting future investment instead.

Panel discussions, facilitated by John Geraghty of South East Technological University (SETU), featured Angus Woods; Julian Pawlowski of OBLIG; Jennifer Byrne of Teagasc; Barry Murphy of DAFM; organic growers Pat O'Connor and Amanda Galvin; Tim O'Donovan of Seedtech; and Martin Bourke. Annie, Johnny and James Flahavan gave updates on the organic oat market, sustainability priorities and initiatives to improve quality, strengthen grower relationships and secure long-term supply.

For growers, the watch items are concrete: OTV EIP trial results as they publish, further HOPE and HealthyOat variety data, and any signal on when — or whether — the Organic Farming Scheme reopens to new entrants.