‘Ask the Farmer’ Online Q&A with Nigel Gillis – ”Building resilient crops using conservation biology principles’

Nigel Gillis operates a stockless conventional tillage farm in Grangecon, Co Wicklow. Previously following a prescriptive approach, he has transitioned his 73 hectares (180 ac) to using principles of conservation agriculture in the last 8 years. After noticing more and more pests and diseases and their chemical cures eating away at his margin, he became disillusioned and wanted to try something else. After running into a member of BASE Ireland, he became thirsty for knowledge. After learning that ‘every target species killed with insecticide kills 1700 non-target and potentially beneficial others, as well as building insecticide resistance’, he immediately ceased its use. He has followed that by not using rodenticide in the last three years, herbicide use is down by 20% and has reduced nitrogen use by 60% and consequently getting away without using fungicide some years. More recently he has started his journey to organic conversion. He produces resilient crops of barley, wheat, beans and oats by using biological dressings on home saved seed, specific soil sampling to monitor micronutrients and biological stimulants. This approach has meant he is ‘a hell of a lot happier with what he’s doing, and the birds are back!’ Apex predators such as buzzards and kestrels, have returned to the farm along with the Barn owl. Nigel leaves 20% of his farm as space for nature and doesn’t manage the internal hedgerows, some of which are the old style ‘double ditch’. Testament to this respect for habitat, Birdwatch Ireland have recorded 32 species in one hour on the land.