Environment

How farmers can help bees on World Bee Day
It's #WorldBeeDay. Bees need food all year round, requiring a diversity of flowering plants in the landscape. Farmers can help bees by allowing space for wildflowers to grow and flower within hedgerows and field margins, around farmyards, along farm roadways and in field corners. Learn more here
20 May 2022

Additives reducing methane emissions
The ‘METH-ABATE’ project aims to identify additives from a range of sources in order to reduce methane emissions. Emily Roskam and Sinéad Waters, Teagasc Grange Researchers enlighten us. Sinead Waters also presented on the role of feed additives in reducing methane emissions in a Signpost video here
19 May 2022

Ireland to host European Dairy Farmers Congress in June
The 30th European Dairy Farmers Conference,will take place from 28-30th June in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork. The theme of the conference is ‘Sustainable Dairying – The Irish Story’. Over 350 delegates from more than 28 countries are expected to attend the three day event. Read more here
19 May 2022

Spring Malting Barley - May update
Spring malting barley crops are performing very well on farm. Favourable weather conditions in both rainfall levels and temperatures since sowing have meant that many crops are on track to reach their full yield potential. Eoin Lyons Teagasc/Boortmalt Joint Programme Advisor updates us here
19 May 2022

Bats and their habitats
It's National Biodiversity Week and Bat Walks are among events planned around the country. Bats and their Habitats is one of a Countryside Management series of leaflets published by Teagasc. Here we share some of the interesting facts about Bats like: Bats only have a single baby, once a year
18 May 2022

Photo Competition - Biodiversity on Equine Farms
The Teagasc Equine Specialists and Countryside Management Specialist are delighted to launch the second edition of a photo competition showcasing ‘Equine Farming and Biodiversity’ aimed at highlighting some of the many examples of biodiversity evident on equine farms around the country.
17 May 2022

Kildalton 50th Anniversary Open Day launched
Kildalton College in South Kilkenny will hold a major open day on Saturday, 25th of June this year kindly supported by FBD. Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently launched the open day in Kildalton and reviewed the plans for the event.
16 May 2022

Growing Wild - dandelion and greater stitchwort
Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist takes a closer look at some of our native Irish biodiversity to look out for in the countryside. Here she shares some interesting facts of nature about Dandelion and Greater Stitchwort
15 May 2022

Meet the farmer - Prionnsias & Máire Creedon Future Beef/SignPost
Proinnsias farms with his wife Máire and sons Ciarán, Aodhán and Diarmuid in Clondrohid, Macroom, Co. Cork. They are farming 33.31Ha of variable land with a good bit of rough grazing ground. Here their advisor Anthony Dineen who is in the Teagasc Office Macroom gives some information on their farm
15 May 2022

Fertiliser Spreader – Basic Setup and Calibration Factsheet
Teagasc recently published a compendium of 20 factsheets providing the latest technical advice on soils, nutrients and fertiliser. The fifteenth of these is about the Fertiliser Spreader – Basic Setup and Calibration and can be read here. All 20 will be published here on Teagasc Daily
15 May 2022

How to reduce Nitrogen losses at farm level?
Diffuse nitrogen (N) loss is a key pressure on water quality. Losses typically occur in ‘light’ free draining soils, which water can easily permeate through. Teagasc Advisor Mary Roache has advice on ways to minimise N leaching on your farm and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)
14 May 2022

PDD Recently Published paper on Chronic Stress in Sows
The Pig Development Dept introduces it's recently published paper, a literature review on the risk factors for chronic stress in group-housed gestating sows, and the associated prenatal stress consequences for piglets, from Martyna Ewa Lagoda, Joanna Marchewka, Keelin O'Driscoll & Laura Ann Boyle
13 May 2022

Forest recreation walks - don't miss out
The Teagasc and DAFM series of nationwide walks on Forest recreation continue up to May 20. Each walk is in the evening and will commence at 7pm. You can register for one of the four remaining walks in Laois, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary and get further details of each walk here
13 May 2022

Today's Farm - May/June 2022
The May/June edition of our bi-monthly magazine is now available online. The main focus of this edition is on Teagasc Grange research and previews the BEEF2022 Open Day. It also has articles on the upcoming Sheep Open Day; heart health; butterflies and moths; fodder budgets; silage walls and more.
13 May 2022

Investigating the role of red clover on beef farms
The inclusion of red clover into silage swards has great potential and can contribute to future proofing beef systems by enhancing N balance and ultimately economic and environmental efficiency. Nicky Byrne, Donall Fahy, Peter Doyle and Paul Crosson, Teagasc Grange discuss their red clover research
11 May 2022

Grass10 Newsletter - 10th May 2022
In this week's newsletter get the regular Grass10 weekly tips, grass growth figures plus details of upcoming webinar on the grass wedge using PastureBase Ireland. Brian McCarthy, Teagasc Clonakility is The Clover Reporter and this week's Grass10 featured farmer is Aidan Maguire, 2021 Drystock GFOTY
11 May 2022

May update from three Future Beef Farmers
Aisling Molloy, Teagasc Future Beef Programme Advisor, has a Future Beef Programme update on the breeding season from the farm of James Skehan, Co. Clare, on grass growth from the farm of William Kingston, Co. Cork and on animal health from organic farmer Kay O'Sullivan, Co. Cork
11 May 2022

Signpost - Meet the farmer John Joe Fitzgerald
John Joe is a hill sheep farmer based west of Dingle and farms with his wife Karen and their five children Shannon, Aoife, Colm, Aodhán and Tadhg. The farm consists of improved ‘’green’’ ground and a share of open commonage on Mount Brandon and a share of enclosed section. Find out more here
09 May 2022

Let's Talk Dairy - Reduced Crude Protein Diets Requirement Under Derogation
On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy, which took place on Thursday, 28th April, Stuarts Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses the reduced Crude Protein diets requirement under Derogation.
09 May 2022

Helping farmers reduce energy use
Teagasc is engaged in an extensive range of research including national and international collaborations. Teagasc highlights the impacts of its latest research in "Research impact highlights in 2020". Dairy - reducing energy use is one such area as John Upton, Teagasc Researcher, Moorepark outlines
08 May 2022

Red Clover for silage swards
Red clover has the potential to fix between 150-200 Kg N/ha per year from the atmosphere in well managed silage swards. Nicky Byrne, Research Officer in Teagasc Grange highlights the progress of a red clover/ perennial ryegrass silage sward at Grange in this video
07 May 2022

Reducing the Environmental Impact of Land Drainage
Appropriately designed and constructed land drainage will lead to improved nutrient uptake by the plant. Ivan Kelly, ASSAP Advisor, Teagasc Athenry, discuss the risks associated with land drainage and the options for reducing the impacts of draining here.
07 May 2022

Organic Farm Walk - Andrew and Leonie Workman, Dunany Organic Flour
On Wednesday 11th May at 12pm Andrew and Leonie Workman of Dunany Flour Organic in Drogheda, Co Louth will host an Organic Farm Walk. Here Elaine Leavy Teagasc Organic Specialist & John Brophy Business & Technology Advisor give some information on their farm enterprises
06 May 2022

Teagasc Signpost Programme Newsletter May 2022
In this month’s newsletter, we publish a factsheet on practical steps to reduce chemical N use on farms as well as an article on useful tips for managing silage effluent. We have the profiles of 3 Signpost farmers, our monthly climate actions, key messages from the Teagasc clover walks and more
05 May 2022

Teagasc response to a call for a complete ban on burning in the uplands
Catherine Keena, Countryside Management Specialist, Teagasc said that fire has a traditional and important role in the management of upland areas and that there is a need to bring these upland areas into active management, while balancing the agricultural objectives & habitat management sustainably
05 May 2022

Grass10 Newsletter - 3rd May 2022
In this week's newsletter the Grass10 team return to farmer Lawrence Sexton in The Clover Reporter section as well as this week's Grass10 featured farmer Philip & John Tyndall. View some Grass10 weekly tips, grass growth figures and upcoming webinar on the grass wedge using PastureBase Ireland
04 May 2022

British Ecological Society announces journal prize winners
The British Ecological Society (BES) has announced the winners of its journal prizes for research published in 2021. The prizes are awarded for the best paper by an early career researcher in seven of the BES journals. This year The Harper Prize was awarded to Dina in ‘T Zandt, hosted at Teagasc
04 May 2022

Forest Recreation Walks in May 2022
Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will run a nationwide series of walks between 9 and 20 May focusing on forest recreation. These walks will celebrate private forests where the owner has developed a recreational element to his or her forest. Register here
03 May 2022

Pine Weevil Conference
Teagasc in association with Maynooth University and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are organising a free, one-day conference on 4 May 2022 focusing on integrated pest management for pine weevil in Ireland.
02 May 2022

Growing Wild - willow, primrose and lady's smock
Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist takes a closer look at some of our native Irish biodiversity to look out for in the countryside. Here she shares some interesting facts of nature about willow, primroses and Lady's smock or cuckoo flower
01 May 2022