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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →North Cork tillage farmer Tom Barry says his 2026 harvest was the earliest of his farming career, but the dry summer also left his later spring beans yielding just 1.5 tonnes per acre. In an Irish Examiner column published October 1, 2026, he describes a mix of cropping, soil and energy decisions intended to make his farm more resilient as weather and costs change. His account reflects experience on his own farm, not a regional yield survey or an independent assessment of climate trends.
What Barry’s 2026 harvest revealed on his farm
Barry reports that harvest began on July 3 and was complete by July 31, 2026—the earliest start and finish in his farming career. He says the hot, dry summer allowed harvest work to move quickly, but severe drought later affected spring beans: the later-sown crop struggled to yield 1.5 tonnes per acre.
Those observations describe one farm and one season. They illustrate the tension Barry is managing: weather can help one stage of farm work while harming a crop at another. The column does not establish regional yields or attribute particular weather events to climate change.
Why he is sowing winter crops earlier
Barry says he has shifted winter-crop sowing two to three weeks earlier, from early or mid-October to late September. His aim is to give crops more time to advance before dry spells. The adjustment also has a pest-risk trade-off: earlier sowing means taking account of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).
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He reports starting KWS Tayo hybrid winter rye on September 21, 2026, and sowing winter barley on September 23. At the time of the column, he hoped to sow winter wheat in the first week of October, weather permitting. Barry says newer varieties containing Ryd2 and Ryd3 genes have been helpful on his farm; his account does not provide comparative trial results, so it should not be read as proof that these varieties will perform the same way elsewhere.
How the cover crops are established and used
After removing straw, Barry says he disks the ground, then sows a week later using a precision applicator mounted at the front of a tractor, with a flat roller behind. He reports that more than 150 acres of cover crops containing kale and leafy turnip had formed a dense stand by mid-September. Teagasc is to monitor nutrient uptake.
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Barry intends to incorporate the cover crop before spring barley and avoid applying artificial phosphorus and potassium to that crop. He also sees the cover as a possible source of fodder if the coming spring is difficult. These are intended and potential uses described for his farm, not guaranteed outcomes for every field or season.
Managing fuel, nutrients and energy costs
Barry reports using 9.41 litres of fuel per acre for ploughing and 5.9 litres per acre for sowing winter grain, or 15.3 litres per acre combined. He calculates that fuel use has raised his sowing costs by almost €11 per acre since December 2021, adding €5,800 for his 2026/27 sowing season. These are figures for his own operation, not sector averages.
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His broader approach includes organic manures and crop rotations, correcting soil pH, reducing compaction, improving soil fertility, using less artificial fertiliser, and chopping and incorporating straw. He also lists solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, batteries, LED lighting and an electric car among his energy-efficiency measures.
Barry says his grant-aided PV system delivered approximately €3,500 in savings over 12 months. His column does not state the system’s size or installation cost, so the figure cannot be used to calculate a general payback period.
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What other farms can take from his account
Barry’s experience points to a package of choices rather than a single fix: crop timing, soil condition, nutrient management and energy use all feature in his effort to improve resilience. Whether any particular measure is suitable depends on the farm, including its crops, fields, machinery and local conditions. His column identifies practical decisions and his own results; it does not compare their effectiveness in controlled trials.
He sums up the distinction between farm-level choices and external pressures in his own words: “Making the farm more sustainable (with measures such as the use of organic manures, crop rotations, correcting soil pH, reducing soil compaction, improving soil fertility, using less artificial fertiliser, setting cover crops and straw chopping and incorporation), along with increasing energy-efficient measures (solar PV, batteries, LED lighting and electric car), I feel, are helping to build resilience and protect the viability of my farm in ways I can influence, against external geopolitical factors which we have little or no control over.”
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