Climate Actions for Beef Farmers

Key mitigation actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on beef farms

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• Improve Replacement Index
• Reduce age at slaughter
• Improve animal health
• Use low emissions slurry spreading equipment
• Reduce chemical N fertiliser use
• Improve soil fertility
• Use protected urea
• Grazing management
• Incorporate white clover

Improve Replacement Index

How it works

Better fertility, reducing GHG emissions from non-productive animals and improved efficiency.

Impact at farm level

The progeny of 5 star females improved  pro­fitability by €60/animal compared to 1 star animals

Benefit to the environment

High replacement animals have a lower methane output/animal than lower replacement index animals, up to a 20% difference in total methane output. Reduces footprint

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Increase the Replacement Index of your herd by €5 per year

Reduce age at slaughter

How it works

Reducing age at slaughter reduces methane emissions, feed required and slurry produced

Impact at farm level

Each month earlier in slaughter age increases profitability by approximately €30/head

Benefit to the environment

Each month earlier in slaughter age reduces CO₂e by approximately 350 kg CO₂e/head. Reduces footprint and total emissions

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Use Euro Star Index for breeding replacements (Replacement Index) and finishing cattle (Terminal Index), implement better grassland management, implement a health plan, make better quality silage.

Improve animal health

How it works

Increased animal performance, reduced replacement rate and reduced number of non-productive animals, reduced mortality

Impact at farm level

Reducing health problems will improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase profitability

Benefit to the environment

Improvements in health will reduce GHG emissions per unit of meat. Reduces footprint

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Implement a health, plan/vaccination programme. Implement good stock importing practices

Low emissions slurry spreading

How it works

Less nitrogen (N) volatilisation. Increases the N fertilizer value of slurry. Reduces the total chemical N inputs.

Impact at farm level

Retains an extra 3 units of N/1,000 gallons of cattle slurry.

Benefit to the environment

Reduces ammonia emissions from slurry by up to 30% and nitrous oxide emissions through reduced chemical N use.  Reduces footprint & total emissions.

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Switch to using LESS equipment for all slurry spreading

Reducing chemical N fertiliser use

How it works

Reduces nitrous oxide emissions 

Impact at farm level

Reduction in farm profitability unless soil fertility is optimised, spread lime, use clover and LESS

Benefit to the environment

Reduce nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate losses to water.   Reduces footprint & total emissions.

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Target application of chemical N – right rate & right time of year & right location. Target silage ground. Optimise use of slurry

Improve soil fertility

How it works

Reduces nitrous oxide emissions 

Impact at farm level

Improved grass production leading to improved profitability

Benefit to the environment

Reduce nitrous oxide emissions.   Reduces footprint & total emissions

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Get lime right first

Use protected urea

How it works

Slows the rate at which urea is converted to ammonium, reducing nitrous oxide emissions.

Impact at farm level

Protected urea is slightly cheaper than CAN and grows similar grass yields to CAN

Benefit to the environment

Protected urea has 71% lower nitrous oxide emissions than CAN. Reduces footprint & total emissions

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Replace all straight nitrogen (N) with protected urea

Grazing management

How it works

Animals grazing better quality forage produce less GHG. Therefore, better grazing management and less silage in the diet is beneficial while shorter housing also leads to less slurry and improved performance

Impact at farm level

Every extra tonne of grass dry matter (DM) grown and utilised/ha is worth €105 to the beef farmer

Benefit to the environment

Reduces methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Reduces footprint

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

• Walk your farm weekly
• Measure grass
• Use PastureBase Ireland
• Improve infrastructure
• Avoid poaching

Incorporate white clover

How it works

Nitrous oxide emission reduction is achieved from lower chemical N fertiliser use (up to 100 kg N/ha)

Impact at farm level

Profitability increased by 14% greater for the grass/clover system when compared to a ‘conventional’ pasture

Benefit to the environment

Can reduce nitrous oxide emissions due to reduced chemical N fertiliser use.  Reduces footprint & total emissions

Actions Needed by Beef Farmers

Over a 5 year period, aim to have white clover in at least 30% of your paddocks (at a minimum average annual sward clover content of 20%)