Last year a joint project between Boortmalt and Teagasc looked at different methods of cover crop establishment. Trial organiser Eoin Lyons explains the project and the results

The majority of Irish spring malting barley is grown in the south east of the country on free-draining soils that warm up quickly in the spring for the early drilling that is so vital when trying to achieve a low protein malting crop. However, their free-draining characteristics can also be a disadvantage, as leaching can be a common issue.