Teagasc to host live field vegetable demonstrations at Crops and Technology Open Day

Pictured from left to right: John Spink of Teagasc; Eoin Sweetman, vegetable advisor; Prof Frank O’Mara of Teagasc; Dr. Lael Walsh, Horticulture Research officer; Andy Whelton, specialised vegetable advisor and Dr. William Deasy, specialised vegetable advisor (Photo credit: Teagasc)

Growers and industry professionals are invited to Teagasc Oak Park on 25 June for live demonstrations on crop establishment and band spraying, showcasing the latest in labour-saving and sustainable horticultural technology

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11 June 2025

A live field vegetable crop establishment and band spraying demonstration will take place in Teagasc Oak Park, Carlow, on Wednesday, 25 June as part of the Crops and Technology Open Day.

The Teagasc Horticulture Development Department is hosting the event and has invited growers and industry to attend.

The demonstrations will take place at the Teagasc Crops Research Centre in Oak Park, Carlow on 25 June, running from 9am to 11am.

Some of the latest developments and commercial machinery for planting/drilling brassicas, root crops, alliums and cucurbits suitable for various farm scales will be demonstrated live.

The aim of the event is to demonstrate commercial and innovative equipment for establishing quality crops as quickly and as labour efficiently as possible.

This will be increasingly important in attempting to establish crops between adverse weather events, particularly in the Spring.

Dr. Michael Gaffney, head of Horticulture Development Department,Teagasc, said: ‘‘Labour costs in the field vegetable sector increased by 7.7% in 2024 and make up approximately 40% of the cost of production, while labour availability also continues to be a challenge. Continued adoption of innovative technology that requires less labour input and/or improves quality, and output is key for the sustainability of the field vegetable sector.’’

In addition to the crop establishment demonstration, a band-spraying demonstration will also take place to show how growers can meet the requirements of the new label of root crop fungicide SL567A.

The use of a band-sprayer is now required when applying this product and this demonstration will inform growers of the correct approach to applying this fungicide.

Specialised Vegetable advisor with Teagasc, Eoin Sweetman said: “Various technologies are available to achieve banded spraying, including very specialised equipment but it is also possible to modify existing sprayers to achieve a banded spray, which will be demonstrated on the day. Apart from band-spraying to meet label requirements, targeted applications of SL567A or other products such as liquid fertilisers reduces product usage, improving efficiency and sustainability.’’

The Teagasc Horticulture Development Department will also present poster boards of some ongoing research in the areas of sustainability metrics for the horticultural sector, measuring Integrated Pest Management adoption and microbiological food safety.

This is the second field vegetable demonstration at the Crops Open Day following the mechanical weeding demonstrations at the Crops Open Day in 2023 and is an event not to be missed for growers and industry!

Crops and Technology Open Day takes place on Wednesday, 25 June at the Teagasc Crops Research Centre in Oak Park, Carlow. The event is organised in partnership with the Irish Farmers Journal.