Fodder beet lifting begins as Teagasc flags late wheat planting window

Growers will start lifting fodder beet over the coming days, Teagasc tillage specialist Shay Phelan has confirmed, and the land coming out of the crop remains in good order despite the recent heavy rain. That condition matters more than the beet itself for many tillage farmers, because it opens a direct route into winter wheat planting immediately after the tubers leave the ground.

Phelan said: "All of this land remains in good order despite the recent heavy rain. And, in turn, this provides an opportunity for winter wheat crops to be sown directly after the tubers come out of the ground."

The same principle applies to the main-crop potato harvest, which is heading for farm stores this week. Phelan sees the two harvests working in tandem rather than in sequence.

He said: "If the weather holds, the beet and potato harvest can be completed in pretty short order. This could then provide an opportunity to get up to 10% of the projected winter wheat area planted out."

Why the next fortnight decides the wheat area

That 10% figure is the concrete prize on offer. It represents the share of the projected winter wheat area that could still go into the ground behind beet and potatoes, provided both harvests finish quickly and the weather cooperates.

The window is closing fast, and Phelan did not soften that point.

"But, in overall terms, we are coming to the very end of the planting window for winter cereals," he said.

For growers weighing a late wheat entry, the calculation is straightforward. Every day of delay in lifting beet or potatoes narrows the chance of establishing wheat before conditions turn. Ground that travels well now may not do so after further rain, and the option to drill directly behind the harvester disappears with it.

How did the September crops establish?

Crops of winter oats, winter barley, winter wheat and oilseed rape planted during August, September and October continue to grow on well, according to Phelan's field assessments.

The oilseed rape crops stand out. Phelan said: "For the most part, crops of winter oilseed rape are very forward. They also have a strong colour."

That vigour carries a cost. Forward, well-coloured rape crops present a genuine disease risk, and Phelan identified the two threats growers should check for.

"On the back of this growth profile, the threat of phoma and light leaf spot is very real," he said. "Given these circumstances, growers should walk crops in order to gauge if they need to apply a fungicide."

The instruction is to walk the crop first and decide on evidence, not to spray on a calendar date. A forward canopy with strong colour is exactly the profile where phoma and light leaf spot establish quickly, so an inspection now can save a more expensive rescue treatment later.

When should growers treat for BYDV?

Early-sown winter cereal crops bring a separate decision: whether to apply an insecticide against Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV).

Phelan fixed the timing. "The first week of November is the time to apply an insecticide," he said.

He framed the choice as personal rather than universal. "But this is very much an issue of personal choice. Some growers might think they have enough BYDV protection if they planted out tolerant varieties."

Variety choice, however, does not settle the question on its own. Phelan pointed to two situations where an insecticide deserves serious consideration regardless of tolerance: crops planted in coastal areas, and crops in locations with a known high prevalence of the disease.

The timing of the consequence matters as much as the decision itself. Phelan warned that the physical impact of a BYDV attack will not become apparent until next April. A grower who skips the November treatment and gets it wrong will not see the damage for five months, by which point the opportunity to act has long passed.

What happened to the potato crop?

On potatoes, Phelan confirmed a degree of compensatory growth following the rains that fell during September. That late moisture partially repaired a difficult season.

"In overall terms, yields are higher than many would have been predicting at the end of the summer," he said.

The recovery has limits. Phelan added: "But this does not overlook the fact that the drought of 2026 did impact very significantly on potato crops grown in many parts of the country."

What should farmers watch next?

The immediate priorities are threefold. Growers with beet and potatoes still in the ground should aim to clear both harvests quickly and drill wheat behind them while the planting window remains open, targeting the up-to-10% share of the projected winter wheat area that Phelan believes is achievable.

Oilseed rape growers should walk forward crops now and judge whether a fungicide against phoma and light leaf spot is justified. Cereal growers face the first week of November as the decision point for a BYDV insecticide, with coastal and high-prevalence locations warranting the closest scrutiny. The consequences of that choice will only show themselves next April.