Environment
Hedgerow Retention - what every farmer needs to know
Mícheál Kelly, Scheme Support Specialist, outlines the protections afforded to hedgerows on farms as designated landscape features, and the requirements farmers must meet as part of Conditionality.
12 May 2025
What is an appropriate stocking rate for organic farmers?
“How many cattle or sheep could my farm carry if I convert to organics?” is a question commonly asked. Many people don’t like the response “it depends”, but in this situation it really does depend on a wide range of factors. Joe Kelleher, Organic Specialist, tells us more.
11 May 2025
From fava beans to future foods: researchers turn to plant-based proteins for a healthier planet
Crops like chickpeas, fava beans, lentils and quinoa could help make Europe’s food systems more environmentally friendly and sustainable, a recent article in Horizon – The EU Research & Innovation Magazine delved into this topic in detail.
10 May 2025
Seasonality and methane production
Does seasonality affect how much methane an animal produces? This will be a key question answered by experts from Ireland and New Zealand as part of an upcoming NZAGRC x Teagasc Webinar.
10 May 2025
May 15 deadline for ACRES Winter Bird Food
ACRES Winter Bird Food must be sown by Thursday, 15 May 2025, as undertaken on your ACRES plan, Teagasc Specialists, Catherine Keena and Mícheál Kelly remind us of the key requirements for the action and the species it benefits over the winter months.
08 May 2025
Why Solitary Bees love 'No Mow May'
Science Communication and Engagement Officer, Eimear Ferguson recently caught up with Colm O’Leary, a Walsh Scholar based in Johnstown Castle, to find out why he won’t be mowing his lawn this May.
08 May 2025
Signpost update: Clover paddocks delivering savings for Kieran McDermott
Teagasc Signpost Programme and Lakeland Dairies Monitor farmer, Kieran McDermott tells us how including white clover in his grassland swards is allowing him to make a saving on chemical nitrogen this summer, his plans for silage and an update on breeding.
07 May 2025
Signpost update: Spring crops established in excellent conditions
Don Somers, Signpost Tillage Farmer, talks us through the choices made on his farm in Co. Wexford this spring, where spring crops were established in exceptional conditions and organic manures are being used to supply key crop nutrients.
06 May 2025
An April of weather ups and downs
Teagasc Signpost Programme participant, Gareth Peoples brings us up to date with the latest happenings on his dairy calf to beef farm in Co. Donegal, where an April of weather up and downs resulted in some cattle being re-housed over the Easter weekend.
06 May 2025
Managing Rainwater on the Farm
Kieran Kenny, Teagasc ASSAP Advisor, explores how to manage excess rainwater on farms to protect productivity and water quality.
05 May 2025
Accelerating water quality improvements – a year of the Farming for Water: River Slaney Project
The pace of action on farms and in the community to enhance water quality has accelerated in the 12 months since the launch of the Farming for Water: River Slaney Project – a collaborative project, involving Tirlán, Teagasc, the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) and ifac.
04 May 2025
Experts updated on the status of Ireland’s Essential Climate Variables monitoring network
The Teagasc Department of Agribusiness and Spatial Analysis held a two-day workshop, starting on April 30 in Ashtown, on Ireland’s role in monitoring Essential Climate Variables (ECV) as part of its role in the Global Climate Observing System- Ireland (GCOS-Ireland) committee.
02 May 2025
LESS slurry spreading delivers air quality improvements
More farmers using Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) technologies and a reduction in the volume of nitrogen fertilisers used in 2023 delivered improvements for Ireland’s air quality, a new report has shown.
01 May 2025
A little help goes a long way for Signpost Sheep farmer, Tomas O’Toole
Farming in Clifden, Co. Galway, Signpost Programme and Better Farm Sheep Programme participant, Tomas O’Toole reflects on a busy spring period, highlighting the importance of having sufficient help for lambing and his plans for maintaining lamb performance and building soil fertility.
01 May 2025
Environment Edge: Protecting drinking water in the drumlins of Monaghan
A novel approach is being taken by the Stranooden Group Water Scheme to protect water in Co. Monaghan, working with catchment science and farmers to improve drinking water.
29 April 2025
WaterMARKE Project Report published
Researchers in the WaterMARKE project have investigated how the complementary use of research and knowledge exchange can achieve greater uptake of farm level water quality mitigation measures to ultimately secure an improvement in water quality as required by the Water Framework Directive.
29 April 2025
Cutting farm emissions: Know your entitlements
Communications and Engagement Specialist with the Teagasc Signpost Programme, Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh takes a closer look at the supports available to farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions.
26 April 2025
All farmers have a role to play in improving water quality
Regardless of scale, intensity or enterprise, all farmers have a role to play in bringing about an improvement in Ireland’s water quality
24 April 2025
Teagasc Appoint River Catchment Co-ordinators
As part of the Better Farming for Water Campaign, Teagasc has appointed six Catchment Co-ordinators to lead a multi-actor approach to improve water quality in eight of Ireland’s most important rivers.
24 April 2025
The Benefits of Red Clover
Red clover builds soil fertility and boosts animal performance making it an ideal option for farms looking to cut nitrogen bills and grow top-quality forage.
19 April 2025
Biodiversity: Allow space for nature in your field margins
Field margins comprise rough grassland on the edge of fields of intensively managed farmland. Their linear nature provides corridors of movement and networks for nature through the countryside, as well as being habitats of high biodiversity value.
17 April 2025
Teagasc Signpost Webinar Series Celebrates Five Years of Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
Teagasc is proud to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Signpost Webinar Series, which has grown to become a vital platform for knowledge-sharing in sustainable agriculture across Ireland and beyond.
15 April 2025
Conditions come good for establishing clover
Warm soils and weekend rain have provided the ideal conditions for establishing clover – either through reseeding or over-sowing, Signpost Climate Advisor, Eoin Woulfe shares some key tips.
15 April 2025
Participants sought for Citizen Science Project on soil health
Teagasc and VistaMilk Research Ireland Centre have launched GroundTruth, an innovative citizen science project, facilitated by Research Ireland.
14 April 2025
Dairygold-Teagasc partnership helps over 1,000 farmers improve sustainability
Over 1,000 farmers have already participated in one-to-one consultations as part of a Dairygold and Teagasc partnership, helping them to reduce their environmental impact while enhancing farm sustainability.
13 April 2025
New guidelines on riparian buffer zones
Riparian buffer zones, which are strips of land along watercourses, play a vital role in mitigating the impact of agricultural activities on water quality.
12 April 2025
Fence off cattle access points to improve your local river
Fencing off watercourses on farms protects water quality and can improve the ecological quality of a watercourse.
10 April 2025
Nitrogen Balance & Nutrient Use Efficiency explained
Farmers have to deal with a lot of new terms that can become confusing and so, Leonard Betts, Teagasc Signpost Climate Advisor, joins this episode of the Environment Edge podcast to shed some light on the difference between nitrogen balance and nutrient use efficiency.
08 April 2025
Quantifying habitats and carbon stored on Signpost Farms
Stuart Green writes on a project that sets out to establish the percentage of biodiversity and carbon stored on the Teagasc Signpost Programme farms.
07 April 2025
Plan for your ACRES low-input grassland score now
Martina Donnelly explores how farmers can improve their low input grassland (LIG) scores under ACRES. The payment rate is based on your score, up to a maximum of €450 per hectare, including a bonus of €50 for late-mown meadows.
05 April 2025