Peadar O'Driscoll

Signpost Dairy Farmer

Peadar O'Driscoll is a dairy farmer from church Cross, Skibbereen, Co.Cork comprising of 70 cows.

Challenges:Soil fertility on the farm here is challenging and putting measures in place to correct soil pH through taking and using soil samples.

Farm Advisor: David Purcell, Teagasc, Skibbereen, Co Cork

Signpost Farm Measure Undertaken

Peadar is currently in derogation but has been taking soil samples on a regular basis before he is required to do so for derogation purposes. Peadar usually take the samples himself using a proper soil corer. Once the results come back, Peadar discusses them with his advisor and both work out a farm fertiliser plan. Peadar’s priority is always to get the lime sorted out first as he knows from experience that he gets a better response to fertiliser on the fields that are at the correct ph.

After that Peadar targets his P allowance onto the ground that needs it most. All of Peadar’s slurry is coming from slatted tanks and most of it gets recycled back onto the silage ground that produced the slurry in the first place. Any extra slurry and soiled water Peadar has goes on the low index fields that he can get it out to.

Peadar intends to top seed some paddocks with clover next spring and then manage them to increase their clover content. Part of this will be to increase the K fertiliser. Peadar will apply to them both in the form of bag fertiliser, soiled water and slurry while at the same time reducing the amount of bag nitrogen to 100 units or less per acre. When Peadar considers the total cost of fertiliser he uses each year, the small cost of soil sampling becomes insignificant in comparison. It ensures Peadar is making the best use of this expensive farm input and that he is targeting it to the places he will get the most benefit from.