Improving biodiversity through ACRES with Future Beef Farmer John Dunne

John Dunne and his son James have had a very busy summer. Along with the day-to-day running of a large farm, they had to fence almost 3km of a riparian buffer strip as part of his Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) plan.

The pressure to get this amount of fencing done was driven by both the ACRES deadline and the fact that James was departing to the US as part of his agricultural degree in the summer. Thankfully, all got done. In order to get the maximum payment from ACRES, John, in consultation with his local advisor Bernard Doorley, took on other options such as: laying an existing hedge (175m); planting a new hedge (95m); erecting two owl boxes; and grazing 8.27ha extensively.

While John is fulfilling the requirements of the scheme and getting a financial payment as a result, he is also very aware of the environmental benefits of the actions under the plan. As a farmer, he is a custodian of the countryside and believes that farming efficiently while enhancing the environment can be complementary.

Riparian buffer strips

As mentioned, one of the actions undertaken by John was the installation of riparian buffer strips on his farm in Portarlington, Co. Offaly.

A riparian margin is the land that lies adjacent to rivers and streams and other bodies of surface water. The objective of riparian margins is to protect the river by creating linear buffer zones, where little or no agricultural activity takes place; thereby helping to intercept nutrients transported via overland flow and stabilises the riverbank. These areas also provide suitable habitats for biodiversity and help to take carbon out of the atmosphere.

Fenced riparian buffer zones adjacent to watercourses, rivers and streams achieve the following:

• Intercept nutrient, sediment and pesticide before reaching the waterbody;
• Prevent livestock from accessing river banks and the watercourse, thus helping reduce erosion and sediment addition to the watercourse;
• Provide a natural habitat for flora and fauna to establish and allow for greater biodiversity in the area;
• Serve as carbon sinks as the growth of vegetation will store carbon in undisturbed soils.

John Dunne pictured on his farm

Management of extensively grazed grassland

John has 8.3ha of lowland-type grassland adjacent to the River Barrow. It is an area of unimproved grassland and due to its location along the river is liable to some flooding. As a result, John applies no slurry to this area and it is grazed during the summer months. It is an area that is very suitable for this action. Under ACRES, John must abide by the following conditions:

• No ploughing, cultivation, reseeding or drainage;
• No mowing or topping between March 15^thand July 1^st;
• Maximum nitrogen (N) application is 40kg N/ha (organic or chemical);
• No pesticides or herbicides (except spot spraying of noxious weeds or invasive alien species);
• Rushes can be controlled by topping, grazing, weed wiping or spot spraying after July 1^st;
• Where no natural barrier exists, any watercourse present must be fenced at least 1.5m from the top of the bank when bovines are present (drinking points are not permitted);
• Do not cut hedges below 1.8m – escaped hedges should be side trimmed only – there is no requirement to cut hedges in ACRES;
• No silage feeding is allowed. Hay may be fed to sheep.

New hedge planting

Under his ACRES plan, John has to plant 95m of a new whitethorn hedge. This hedge will be planted over the winter of 2023/2024. John is making a few phone-calls to source and secure his whitethorn plants, as there will be big demand for hedging in the New Year.

Native species of Irish provenance must be planted. This means the plants are grown in Ireland from seed collected from Irish trees. Species native to Ireland grown in another country from their seed act differently. Native Irish species are in tune with each other with timing of flowering suiting associated dependent species. Using native provenance hedging stock is better for biodiversity, reduces the health risk to our native trees and hedges. John will have to decide what type of hedge would best suit the farm - either topped or escaped.

This article first appeared in the October Future Beef newsletter. For more information on John Dunne’s farm, click here. To find out more about the Future Beef Programme and to sign up to subsequent newsletters, click here.

Also read: Consider joining ACRES 2 to get up to €7,311 per year for five years

Also read: Hedgerows and ACRES requirements