Teagasc Open Day to Focus on Reducing Fertilizer Costs

A Teagasc open day for beef and dairy farmers, focussing on increasing profitability of grass-based milk and beef production, will take place next week. The open day is organised by Teagasc and Tipperary Co-op on the Solohead Research Farm, County Tipperary and takes place on Thursday, 23 April.

The event is particularly relevant this year as dairy and beef farmers seek to reduce the cost of production on their farms. A very low cost grass-based production system has been developed at Solohead and will be the central demonstration on the day. This production system makes maximum use of white clover and efficiently recycles slurry onto the grassland thereby reducing the need for artificial fertilizers.

Research at the Solohead research farm shows that fertilizer costs on both dairy and beef farms can be substantially reduced by replacing chemical fertilizer with white clover and through the efficient recycling of slurry. Well managed clover-based swards can supply 140 kilograms of Nitrogen per hectare each year at little cost; this is a large proportion of the Nitrogen requirement on an average Irish farm. Another benefit is that white clover herbage is of high quality and maintains high quality pasture under low nitrogen input systems.

Other topics covered at the event on Thursday 23 April will include grazing management, dairy cow health and fertility and the use of high EBI genetics. Farmers attending the event will have an ideal opportunity to see the results of the Teagasc Moorepark research programme and to meet with Teagasc research and advisory staff.

Solohead Research Farm is located near Limerick Junction, three miles from Tipperary town on the Limerick road. The open day runs from 10.00am to 5.00pm and admission and parking are free.