Clearing a maize crop grown ‘plastic free’
It was the desire to get away from planting under plastic that led Pat Kinsella to take a long hard look at the way in which he grew the maize for his beef finishing enterprise in Co. Wicklow.
For many years he had followed the tried and trusted method of establishing the crop in this way. However, this season he decided to do without it due, not only to the expense, but also the fact that it just isn’t degrading in the ground as is commonly thought.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, plastic doesn’t rot, it blows away into the ditches,” he said.
In addition to the problems with the plastic itself, he also felt constrained by the lack of choice of varieties imposed by the system.
Breaking away has opened up a whole new vista of possibilities when it comes to selecting a type that might be more suitable for Irish conditions he feels.
