Specific claims made with regard to the development of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) tolerance by plant breeding companies actually hold up under trial conditions.

This follows the completion of independent trial work on the subject by Teagasc research scientists, a point that was discussed at the recent National Tillage Conference.

This development should mark a significant step change in terms of tillage farmers’ commitment to the planting of winter barley, particularly the early autumn period.

What’s more, it holds out the prospect of genuine BYDV resistance becoming a reality in the not too distant future.

It will also be interesting to see how the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) handles the issue of BYDV tolerance when it comes to the publication of the 2026/2027 recommended winter barley lists later in the year.

Regenerative agriculture

Meanwhile, the past two years have seen a number of reports launched, profiling the potential prospects for regenerative agriculture.

The content of these publications will quickly resonate with every tillage farmer in Ireland.

Consider the facts: the days of sourcing a solution for plant diseases and weed challenges courtesy of new agrochemicals are fast coming to an end.

The plants and pests that are out there are quickly becoming genetically resistant to all the sprays that we can throw at them.

Moreover, the big chemical companies will not now commit to the development of new products because of the costs involved.

Quite rightly, countries around the world have upped the bar immensely concerning the accreditation standards allied to the official sanctioning of new herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.

And this same principle holds where the development of new antibiotics is concerned.

Big pharma knows that the development costs involved are astronomic relative to the final return they will receive from the marketplace.

Integrated pest management

Meanwhile, the demand for food around the world continues to grow at an exponential rate. And farmers will be charged with the task of making this happen.

Specifically where crops are concerned, growers will have no option to implement integrated pest management (IPM) procedures.

These get to the very heart of regenerative agriculture.

Looking to the future, more effective crop rotations will be a driving force for the tillage sector.

Management techniques, including the use of stale seed beds and mechanical weeding systems, also fall neatly within this space.

Where disease control is concerned, we will see improved plating breeding systems play a key role.

There is little doubt that improving disease resistance at a crop variety level will remain a key priority for plant breeders.

Irish tillage

Within an Irish setting, the breakthrough that all tillage farmers are waiting for is the development of wheat varieties that are truly resistant to septoria.

Regenerative agriculture has the potential to tick every box from an arable farming perspective.

If farmers can achieve acceptable yields without the use of expensive agrochemical inputs, then agriculture will be primed for a new era.

Yes, we know that the future will always be uncertain, in terms of how it pans out.

But the stark reality for tillage farmers in the here and now is that the days of ‘chemical agriculture’ are fast coming to an end.