The 3rd edition of the Certified Seed Focus will be in this week’s Farmers Journal compiled in association with the Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA). This time around it looks at the increasing pressure farmers are coming under controlling weeds due to the increasing number of problem species. We talk to 3 farmers from around the country who take appropriate steps to keep out problems such as wild oats, sterile brome, meadow brome, canary grass, blackgrass, etc.

Role of Certified Seed

The feature highlights how Certified Seed operates zero tolerance through a higher voluntary standard for most of these grasses and also examines other factors such as machinery and how they can carry in problems with them. The Focus takes a look at seed treatments; where they have come from and how they have evolved to what we use today.

Lots to read and a must see for all tillage farmers and growers this Thursday.

This is our third article on the Certification Seed process. We’ve taken a look at Inspection and Rogueing, which is the removal of unwanted plants by hand from the crop, and Crop Trials to observe the characteristics of crops and varieties and how they react to the Irish environment under Irish growing conditions. In this piece Former President of ISTA Tom Bryan takes us through the process of harvesting outlining the key actions that need to be taken to ensure the seed collected is fit for certification.

After the crop has come to the end of its growing cycle, including thorough audits by Department of Agriculture (DAFM) representatives and the agronomists of the Seed Processors, the harvest period begins.

It is extremely important that every effort is made during the harvesting of the seed crops to retain the following which are the cornerstones of quality Irish certified seed:

• Varietal Purity.
• Freedom from invasive species (Wild oats, Brome and Canary Grass etc.)
• Germination.

When to harvest
Harvest generally occurs from July to October and it is important not to delay harvest once the crop has ripened. When ripe, winter cereals are easy to thresh, and harvest can begin at moisture levels as high as 20%, although generally very little is harvested above 18% moisture.

A germination as low as 85% is acceptable but it is recommended that >98% should be the target at harvest. Harvest and handling is of particular importance for malting barley.

Before harvesting begins
There are a number of key activities that the grower must action. The grower must:

• Ensure that the seed crops have not been desiccated through the use of any pesticide e.g. Glyphosate containing products.
• Give adequate notice of intention to harvest (i.e. 24 hours’ notice) to the Seed Processor. The harvesting of Seed crops may be carried out when the required notice is given.
• Ensure that all harvesting machinery and trailers for transporting the seed have been thoroughly cleaned out.
• Ensure harvesting of seed crops will be supervised, if possible on a spot-check basis, by Department of Agriculture personnel.
• Take care to ensure that there will be no contamination from any source of the seed grain if it has to be stored in the farmyard awaiting collection.

Harvesting underway
When operating the combine harvester, the driver has a bird’s eye view of the seed crop and, with due care and attention to detail, the operator aims to prevent any unwanted weed seeds or other contaminants entering into the harvested seed grains. This requires concentration and vigilance, which our expert seed growers, have in abundance.

The first run around the outer headlands of the field should be discarded when harvesting the crop. This is best practice for species purity reasons and will also further aid the cleaning out process of the combine.

Lodging can be a problem and it is recommended that these patches are also excluded when harvesting to prevent the possibility of reduced germination and the subsequent rejection of the sample.

Avoiding damage to the seeds during harvesting
Even minor damage to the seed can affect the ability of the seed to germinate. Cracked grains, skinned or partially-skinned grains, and grains killed through damage to the germ, cannot germinate properly in the subsequent C1 Seed crop.

When examining a barley seed sample for damage, look at individual grains not just a mass of grain. Always examine grain's back first and ignore the crease side. Severe cracking and germ damage are nearly always accompanied by a high degree of skinning (in barley).

• The most common causes for this are:
• Drum speed too high - only use the slowest drum speed that will effectively thresh the grain from the head. A higher drum speed is needed when harvesting crops not properly ripe and can cause serious grain damage.
• An incorrectly-adjusted or warped concave - the initial header settings should have the concave set one notch wider for barley than for wheat. Check the setting frequently during the day. If the thresher drum speed is correct, concave adjustments should cope with the changes in temperature and other harvesting conditions met during the day.
• The airflow may need to be increased slightly to obtain a clean sample.

It is essential that correct combining of the crop occurs as it is at this point that the potential seed crop can be irreversibly damaged. It is recommended that the grower should bring a sample of the threshed grain into his/her seed house to ascertain if the sample is acceptable and the crop is being threshed to the satisfaction of the purchaser.

Finally, post-harvest seed samples are checked for purity and quality and the seed grain makes its way to the Seed Processors. It’s this intricate process that guarantees the high standards expected of Irish Certified Seed.

For more information on Certified Cereal Seed production, see the Irish Seed Trade Association’s website.

The Irish Seed Trade Association’s (ISTA) annual Open Day 2016 visited the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine cereal trials, on Wednesday last, June 29th at Backweston, Co Kildare. The cereal variety trials were the main attraction with 152 individual varieties from across Europe being evaluated in 2016.

There was a very large attendance at this years’ event with representatives from every aspect of cereal production including crop consultants, Department personnel, Teagasc tillage specialists, seed suppliers, cereal growers, agro chemical and animal feed suppliers and the malting industry.

ISTA Vice President, Jim Gibbons, commented on the critical role the Department and its cereal variety evaluation system plays in bringing new improved varieties to the market. Clodagh Whelan, AAI Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) commented on the trial work that is undertaken at various sites around the country including Moorepark, Kildalton and also on many commercial farms. Clodagh stated ‘the trial work that goes on at our various sites gives independent assurance that varieties we select and approve are the most suitable for growing in Ireland under our climatic conditions’.

New varieties are submitted annually to the Department of Agriculture for agronomic evaluation, known as VCU testing. Key parameters to be measured include crop yield, disease resistance, and grain quality. Having successfully completed this VCU process over a three-year period, the best new varieties are then added to the Recommended List and seed of same is propagated and brought to market for commercial use by Irish growers. In addition, quality tests are also carried out to help identify the most suitable varieties for use as malting barley, milling wheat or food-grade oats for example, all of which is vitally important to Ireland’s valuable food and drinks sector.

ISTA Vice President, Jim Gibbons closed proceedings by reiterating the importance of certified seed to Irish growers, ‘our trialling and evaluation system is among the best in the world and Irish farmers have the advantage of choosing from a list of certified varieties on the Irish Recommended list, that have undergone intensive trialling under our unique Irish conditions’.

Attendees at the Department site also got the opportunity to view the latest grass, forage maize, oilseed rape and bean varieties under evaluation.

The 152 cereal varieties under evaluation included - 39 winter wheat, 10 spring wheat, 31 winter barley, 45 spring barley, 12 winter oat, 14 spring oat and 1 triticale.

4th July 2016

The Irish Seed Trade Association members are currently preparing for a variety of open days. We have 16 members many of which operate independent crop trials and farm visits. Do come to one of the Farmer Open days, arranged with ISTA members, as they are well worth seeing.

Irish Seed Trade Association’s (ISTA) 2016 Open Day to visit the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine cereal trials, will take place on Wednesday 29th June 2016 at the Department of Agriculture premises, Backweston, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

Attendees will be able to view the latest trial results from the crop varieties under evaluation; winter/spring barley, oats and wheat plus forage maize, oilseed rape and grass/clover varieties.

This yearly event brings together representatives from every aspect of cereal production including crop consultants, DAFM personnel, Teagasc tillage specialists, seed suppliers, cereal growers, Irish Farmers Association, agro chemical and animal feed suppliers, food and beverage related industries, feed and grain trade, flour millers, malting industry, agri-media, UCD graduates, and trade personnel from agribusiness sectors in Britain and Ireland.

This is a well-attended event each year as ISTA members get the opportunity to view varieties coming up for full recommendation on the Department of Agriculture Recommended List. It also offers the opportunity to view new varieties that have recently entered the evaluation process.

According to John Dalton, ISTA President, ‘this is a great opportunity to view the large array of crops under evaluation at the Department site in Backweston. It is our chance to evaluate potential varieties for the future and a demonstration of the investment undertaken by the Department to ensure growers have access to the best performing new varieties under Irish conditions’.

Rogueing is in full swing at many seed production plants at this time of the year. Rogueing is the removal of any unwanted plants by hand from a crop and it is routine for both the Department of Food and the Marine (DAFM) and seed companies to carry out this process along with a number of other crop inspections, especially in seed crops. Regular crop inspections ensure the crop is extremely clean of both weeds and off-types and rogueing is just one procedure to ensure the purity of certified seed produced here in Ireland.

Simply put, off-types are plants that have varying characteristics. During the rogueing stage, characteristics observed are; the plants themselves, weed contamination and in the case of Oilseed Rape (OSR) the leaf shape is observed. OSR off-types tend to have a larger yellow leaf or have curled anthers as opposed to straight.

A clean field of barley, after rogueing.

For cereal crops, regular crop inspections are carried out to identify weeds or wild oats that may be present in the field. When inspecting fields, it is important to inspect near hedgerows and around ESB poles. If there are any sheds present in the field, these areas may also be home to weeds or wild oats caused by the inability of the sprayer’s boom to get in close enough.

Carrying out regular inspections allows potential issues to be identified earlier and rectified quicker in the season. One of the most common weeds present in cereal crops are wild oats. Depending on the crop, wild oats can be sprayed for or rogued by hand.

As the rogueing process is carried out by hand, the practise usually involves a team of people walking in a linear line through the crop. Each roguer is responsible for 3 strips of oilseed rape or a 4 metre strip of cereal crops and as they walk at a slow pace through the crop, they continuously rogue off-types, looking behind occasionally to view the crop from a different angle to identify any missed plants. Each rogue plant identified is pulled and discarded. To ensure the team do not miss any off-types a team leader will walk at a slow pace behind to detect any missed plants.

The overall aim is to insure the quality and purity of the crop is at a superior level as these seed crops will be sold commercially. Stringent crop inspections and monitoring allows for the production of excellent quality crops in Ireland year after year. Additionally, it gives Irish farmers peace of mind when purchasing certified seed that has been produced to an excellent quality and purity standard.

Additional Information:

• Rogueing is the removal of any unwanted plants by hand from a crop, these are then discarded in the field or bagged and removed from the field.
• A Roguer is a person that works at removing off-types, weeds etc. from the field by hand.

Key considerations for crop inspections:

1. Continually monitor the stage of the crop to judge optimum rogueing time.
2. Note the level of off-types present to judge number of roguers required.
3. Recruit a trained eye as experienced roguers are invaluable in identifying the off-types/weed species.
4. A team leader should be present at all times to offer guidance to roguers and for spot checks.
5. A clean crop at the end of rogueing process gives superior quality and purity to the seed.

The second edition of Focus on Certified Seed was featured in the Irish Farmers Journal on 20th February 2016 with six pages exploring the use of certified seed in niche markets including the gluten-free and porridge oat markets and the growth in craft malt for distilling and brewing. All these markets require full product traceability and certified seed provides growers with that confidence. The articles included interviews with a number of farmers who produce crops for these niche markets and with Paul Bury, a plant breeder, who is developing new varieties to meet the evolving needs of the malting markets.

Mark Reynier, of Waterford Distillery, said, “The only ingredients in our whiskeys are barley, water and yeast. Great whiskey is about the flavours and aromas derived from the process. Whiskey is regarded as the most complex spirit of all because it is made from barley.” And the objective of this new distillery is to highlight the uniqueness of regions, growers and fields to help generate a diversity of flavours and aromas. With the help of Boortmalt, they get barley from 46 growers that represent 26 different soil types. Certified seed provides the variety purity and traceability needed.

In Kildare, the Doherty family have a long tradition of oat production, including other winter crops. Pat Doherty’s father, Paddy, would have been one of the first oat growers for Odlums. And 2016 is the first year he has grown gluten-free oats which is only planted after a break crop or ley. It is harvested by a dedicated Glanbia harvesting unit. Seed production, selection, certification and keeping other cereal grains out of the sample at all stages of production is critical.

Higher voluntary standards associated with producing C1 malting barley seed are a continuous challenge for Ivan Holden who farms in Co Carlow. Rotation in a field means that certified seed would be grown only every third or fourth year. As Ivan said this is critical because “we are growing seed for next year’s crop and we have a duty of care to all the farmers who purchase this seed to grow their crops for their livelihood.”

The Ring family has been growing barley on Cobh Island for generations and their main crop is barley for malting. They insist on attention to detail for certified seed production by ensuring their land is free of weeds such as wild oats, canary grass and sterile brome. Rogueing seed crops normally begins in early July and is done thoroughly twice. Emphasis is put on every part of the production process and the use of certified seed is the first critical step.

The reasons for the use of certified seed instead of home saved seed for beans were outlined, with certified seed giving the grower assurance that it has been grown, dried, stored, packed and handled to ensure that quality is maintained and impurities such as seed-borne diseases and the presence of harmful microscopic pests have been tested for.

Finally, Paul Bury, head malting barley breeder of Syngenta, Market Stainton, spoke about how yield improvements in malting barley breeding have come from improved environmental hardiness, with the focus in recent times to select for stress tolerance and yield stability traits.

The full Focus on Certified Seed feature and articles are available online through the Irish Farmers Journal website.

A Focus on Certified Seed featured in the Irish Farmers Journal on 22nd August 2015, with 8 pages of articles on the standards for certified seed in Ireland, plant breeding and royalties, the challenge of grass weeds, and the views of Irish cereal seed growers.

In Ireland, over 8000ha are dedicated each year to the production of Irish certified cereal seed, with the annual market for cereal seed at around 38,000 to 40,000 tonnes. The seed industry, together with the Irish Seed Trade Association which comprises representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the seed houses and seed assemblers, ensure that Ireland has the highest standards for its cereal seed in Europe.

These strict standards ensure the quality of Irish certified seed, assurance of its cleanliness, and guarantee each bag of seed is high in purity, has good germination capacity and is free from major pests and diseases. ISTA also operates a higher voluntary standard of zero tolerance for contaminants like wild oats, sterile brome and blackgrass.

Renowned plant breeder, Chris Tapsell, KWS, spoke about new varieties which are needed to improve characteristics for disease resistance, better grain quality and increase plant yield. Seed royalties, payable to plant breeders, are also a critical income generator for investment in the production of new varieties and new breeding capabilities. But the challenges going forward including increased complexity, expense, lack of new young plant breeders, the potential effects of global warming, water use efficiency and other environmental concerns. Indeed, the cost of producing a new variety has gone from £1m to £2m over the last 20 years.

The farming businesses of three certified seed producers who work to the high standards required for Irish certified seed were profiled in the publication. In Co. Cork, Liam Day from Ardnabourkey, Whitegate, said ‘it’s all about getting the most out of each acre that you farm, and paying attention to detail at all times’. Barley is the main crop grown, with winter wheat, oats, beet, maize, beans and grass and they have strict systems in place for crop/field hygiene to keep grain yields and quality high.

Ivan Hemeryck operates a large diverse tillage farm outside Lucan, Co. Dublin, growing potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, beans and oilseed rape. A strong supporter of certified seed and the variety evaluation system, he is always keen to incorporate new varieties that show improved yield potential and is currently preparing to plant the two parents to produce hybrid barley seed in 2016.

Outside Carlow town, Clive Bayley and his father Melvin grow fodder beet, and wheat, barley, oats, oilseed rape, spring beans, and gluten-free oats. Certified seed is a premium crop and he said ‘I need to be sure that the seed is pure and free of any contaminants that could, in turn, be an issue with imported seed or for the quality requirements of the final crop'.

Read the full Focus on Certified Seed 8 page spread in the Irish Farmers Journal out 22 August 2015.

24th August 2015