Environment
Climate Actions for December
Read the latest farm advice and current actions farmers should consider taking this month
09 December 2023
ACRES ‘ASKS’
Eamon Patten, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Ballinrobe, tells us that in its inaugural year, the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) has 46,000 participating farmers, surpassing the initial 30,000 target.
09 December 2023
Estimating soil carbon stocks on the Signpost Farms
There is a lot of interest in the potential of both our hedgerows and soils to store carbon as a means of offsetting agricultural emissions, writes Tom O’Dwyer, Head of Signpost Programme at Teagasc, who looks at how soil carbon is being monitored on the Signpost Farms.
07 December 2023
Biodiversity enhancement on farmland through high-diversity landscape features
Dr Saorla Kavanagh, Biodiversity Research Officer from the Environment, Soils and Land Use Department, joined 19 other experts from around Europe last year to participate in the EU CAP Network Focus Group for enhancing the biodiversity on farmland through high-diversity landscape features.
07 December 2023
Ministerial visit to Teagasc Signpost Farm marks World Soil Day
To mark World Soil Day, Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, took the opportunity recently to visit Thomas, Florence and David Fennellys’ farm near Emo, Co. Laois.
05 December 2023
Soil carbon capture - an effective tool to combat climate change
Carbon sequestration - the capture of carbon into soil - can be an effective tool to combat climate change. Attaining more accurate measurements of soil carbon levels requires widespread and in depth attention to land-use practices.
05 December 2023
Healthy soil is important for Ireland’s bees
As part of World Soil Day 2023, Saorla Kavanagh and Colm O’Leary explain how pollination services and soil and water are connected, and how they are collectively vital for ensuring resilient farming systems.
05 December 2023
A grá for nematodes and the EU’s first soil health law
Dr Fiona Brennan, Teagasc Senior Research Officer in Soil and Microbiology, joins Cathal Somers and Deirdre Glynn on this episode of the Environment Edge podcast to mark World Soils Day.
05 December 2023
Why do we need a Soil Health Law?
World Soil Day is upon us again, this is an annual event held on the 5th of December where the focus is on soil health and advocating the sustainable management of soils. Cathal Somers, Teagasc ASSAP advisor tells us why we need a soil health law.
05 December 2023
Rectifying soil fertility starts now
John Kilboyle, B&T Advisor at Teagasc Galway/Clare, reminds farmers of the two new requirements of the latest Nitrates Action Plan, while highlighting what they mean for farmers.
03 December 2023
Right product, right place and right time key for farmers in ACP catchments
Working with over 300 farmers across six catchments, the Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP) has been in operation since 2008.
01 December 2023
Stabilisation of water quality needed to secure nitrates derogation post 2025
Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius' visit confirmed that farmers in certain locations, where water quality failed to show significant improvement as part of an interim review of the Nitrates Action Programme, would be in receipt of a lowered maximum stocking rate under the nitrates derogation.
30 November 2023
10 Things to Know About… Where You Live
When choosing where we want to live, we usually ask questions such as, how far you are to the local shops, whether there are any good schools nearby, or if it’s a long and arduous commute to the workplace. We rarely consider how the environment around where we live could affect our health.
27 November 2023
Signpost Series - Past, current and future fertiliser use
On this episode of the Signpost Series Mark Gibson, Head of Teagasc Outreach & Innovation Department was joined by Pat Murphy, Head of Environment KT, Teagasc & Mark Plunkett, Training and Development Specialist with the Teagasc Signpost Programme to discuss past, current and future fertiliser use.
26 November 2023
Signpost Series - the Irish Breeding Curlew EIP
After being widespread in Ireland back in the 1970s and early 1980s when 8,000 pairs were estimated to have been present, the Curlew is now one of Ireland’s most threatened breeding wader species.
26 November 2023
The health benefits and enterprise opportunities from farming Aronia berries in west Cork
From famine-torn countries to the idyllic countryside of west Cork, Dr Steve Collins of Derry Duff Farm joins the latest episode of the Environment Edge podcast to chat about his journey in nutrition and farming super berries with major health benefits on marginal land in the hills of west Cork.
20 November 2023
Growing Wild - Haws and Spindle fruit
Now is the time to look out for haws and spindle fruit. Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, who takes a closer look at some of our native Irish biodiversity.
19 November 2023
Farmers and livestock systems are central to achieving environmental outcomes in upland landscapes
Over 150 people attended the Upland Farming and Landscape Management Symposium in Westport, Co. Mayo on Thursday 16th November. The symposium was organised by Teagasc in collaboration with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) from Northern Ireland.
18 November 2023
Signpost series - Catchment management initiatives in the USA
Patrick Drohan, Professor of Soils at Penn State University, joined Mark Gibson, Head of the Teagasc Outreach & Innovation Department, on the latest podcast version of the Signpost Series to discuss catchment management initiatives in the USA
18 November 2023
Greater awareness of anaerobic digestion benefits at farm level needed
A survey conducted to assess farmers’ willingness to adopt anaerobic digestion has identified a potential knowledge gap at farm level in terms of the benefits this technology can bring.
15 November 2023
The Nitrates Derogation Changes and its Implications
Austin Callaghan, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Claremorris, writes about changes to the Nitrates Derogation and implications for farmers across the country.
13 November 2023
'Where are the women?'
During the opening and closing of her address to the recent conference on Irish Agriculture and the EU 50 years on, a journey through 50 years of Ireland’s EU membership, EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness posed the question 'where are the women?'
12 November 2023
Signpost Series: Ecologically significant habitats on farmland
On this episode of the Signpost Series, Pat Murphy, Teagasc Head of Environment Knowledge Transfer, was joined by Dr. Melinda Lyons, Environmental Management, TU Dublin, to discuss ecologically significant habitats on farmland.
11 November 2023
Managing Rainwater on Farms
The increasing intensity of rainfall due to climate change is an additional challenge for farmers to adapt to particularly as this can occur at any time during the year.
11 November 2023
Catchment Science 2023
Over 200 scientists, advisors, farmers and representatives from the agri industry and the public sector are gathered in Wexford this week to hear the latest on water catchment science.
08 November 2023
ACRES planning - the right action in the right place
On this episode of the Signpost Series, Mark Gibson, Head of Teagasc Outreach & Innovation Department, was joined by Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, and John Lusby, Birdwatch Ireland, to discuss planning ACRES - the right action in the right place.
07 November 2023
Deadline for submission of lime receipts upcoming
The one-week extension to the closing date for receipt claims under the National Liming Programme will come to a close this week.
06 November 2023
Growing Wild - Crab Apples and Elderberries
Now is the time to look out for Crab Apples and Elderberries. Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, who takes a closer look at some of our native Irish biodiversity.
05 November 2023
Make soil sampling a priority this winter
Donal McCabe, Drystock Advisor in Teagasc Longford, explains why you should be making plans as to how you are going to get the most out of your grass swards for 2024 and how soil sampling can help.
03 November 2023
Creatures of the Night - the truth about bats in Ireland
With Halloween upon us, on the latest Environment Edge podcast, we investigate the interesting life of bats and why they are so important to Irish farmers.
30 October 2023