Irish arable farmer Samuel Deane is successfully growing fungicide-free crops on what is considered the very limit of viable arable land in the rain-drenched landscape of County Cork.

Sam is now in his fifth year ditching the chemicals in a region which sees average rainfall frequently surpass 1000mm, coupled with mild winters that harbour disease.

“We are in an area of borderline arable cropping. The soils have good potential, but it is the rain that beats you,” says Sam, who also works as an agronomist.

See also: Signature seed dressing helps grow fungicide-free crops

Fungicide-free

Sam puts his ability to eliminate fungicides down to three main factors: no-till practices, reduced nitrogen inputs, and cover cropping.

“You cannot go fungicide-free without lifting the other pressures on crops. Healthy soil really is the foundation of regenerative agriculture,” he says.

For him, it is all about getting biology working on farm and implementing a conservation agriculture system.

This includes using cover crops to encourage earthworms, cutting nitrogen rates and promoting a good fungal-to-bacteria ratio.

Signs such as mushrooms popping up after-harvest and thriving cover crops all point to healthy soil biology on the 40ha farm.

© MAG/Emma Gillbard

Spring seed focus

Because of high rainfall and pressure from diseases such as septoria and fusarium, Sam avoids growing winter wheat—a crop he deems too risky under local conditions.

Instead, his rotation is based on spring cropping, including oats, barley and beans, destined for premium markets.

Spring barley and spring oats have become staples for their consistent reliability and good market opportunities.

Spring oats frequently yield 9t/ha and deliver the best margin for the farm.

With no fungicides, no insecticides, no ploughing and reduced nitrogen fertiliser rates, the cost of production is significantly lower than conventional systems.

The barley – both spring and winter – is destined for the premium seed market, while the oats are grown for feed with hopes of reaching the premium equine sector.

How it started

Sam has been running a no-till, conservation-focused system and went fungicide-free five years ago.

More than 10 years ago, the farm switched to strip-till and moved away from using insecticides.

He wanted to take this further and so trialled the zero fungicide strategy in a field of spring oats.

Encouraged by the results, Sam followed suit with the following crop of oats and then again with the next crops of beans.

After just three fungicide-free harvests across the trial field, the approach was rolled out across the whole farm.

As an agronomist working for New Gen Agri, Sam keeps a sharp agronomic eye on crops, conducting regular crop walks to catch any signs of disease or deficiency.

“The day you think about disease control should be the day you plant the crop,” he advises, explaining that earlier drilling dramatically influences disease pressure, often more than chemistry can.

Should a disease problem escalate, he remains open to deploying fungicides.

This year, a crop of Florence spring barley received one fungicide pass at the end of the season, but otherwise it hasn’t been necessary.

Hazelnuts – a diversification project

A 2ha field of hazelnut trees is Samuel Deane’s new fledgling diversification project, targeted at the human consumption market.

“The hazelnut venture is certainly a learning curve. I’m researching everything from harvesting to cracking and roasting,” says Sam.

He hopes the new avenue will open up local, sustainable alternative to imported hazelnuts for nearby chocolatiers and artisanal food businesses.

Samuel Deane © MAG/Emma Gillbard

Nitrogen management

Crops are established in a no-till system, with a Duncan disc drill that can place both seed and fertiliser in one pass.

Oats and barley typically receive a total of 100kg N/ha, down significantly from earlier years thanks to improvements in soil fertility.

Sam grows the spring barley variety Geraldine for seed and Florence for feed. He grows Isobel oats as they allow for a flexible drilling window from October to April.

“If the weather turns, it means we have options to dodge poor weather windows. Flexibility is key as we are often up against the weather.”

Nitrogen use on the farm is carefully managed. About 70% is applied as granular fertiliser at drilling, with the remaining 30% delivered via three foliar sprays of 10kg N/ha.

Sam dissolves urea in IBC tanks and applies it as a liquid spray, alongside seaweed extract and trace elements.

Fulvic and humic acid are also included as a carbon source and chelating agent, to help carry nutrients into the plant.

“As a general rule, fulvic acid helps promote uptake in foliar sprays and humic acid helps promote soil biology and efficacy of soil-applied fertilisers,” says Sam.

The acids can also neutralise toxic residues of chemical actives in soil, reducing negative effects on beneficial soil microbiology and promoting soil structure.

Interestingly, Sam avoids sap testing for spring barley and oats, explaining crops grow so fast that results are often outdated by the time they come back.

Instead, he relies on visual assessments and experience on a field-by-field basis.

Weed management

No-till systems often face criticism for weed management challenges, says Sam. That’s why hand-rogueing is an important job on the farm.

Maintaining crop quality and meeting Ireland’s high seed standards mean weed management is crucial.

“The Irish seed certification has strict regulations.

“Every seed crop is inspected at least once by the Department of Agriculture before harvest, and a combine inspection is carried out by the seed merchant ahead of harvest,” he explains.

At harvest, all straw is chopped and returned to the soil to aid organic matter and suppress weed seeds. A molasses-based microbial blend is applied to the straw, known as beneficial anaerobic microbes.

This contains lactic acid bacteria, purple non-sulfur bacteria, beneficial yeasts, and microbial exudates, to help accelerate decomposition and boost microbial diversity in the soil.

Sam’s farming system is simple yet effective – start with the soil and focus on crop health.

He is proving that even on the edge of viable arable farming, with the right strategy, quality fungicide-free crops can be produced.