Environment
Reducing the cost of growing grass
In this article Dr. Peter Lawrence Teagasc drystock advisor Co. Wicklow, has advice for reducing the cost of growing grass. His tips include using paddocks, soil testing and drawing up a fertiliser plan based on the reports and incorporating white clover into grass swards
30 April 2022
Save the dates – Teagasc Open Days 2022
Teagasc has a busy summer offering of events and open days. Open Days planned for 2022 include Beef 2022 in Grange, Sheep Open Day in Athenry, and Kildalton 50th anniversary celebration. More information on these and other events below.
29 April 2022
Dairying and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
AMR is a new challenge to the farming community and a risk to public health. Don Crowley, Teagasc Dairy advisor discusses antimicrobial resistance, how it develops and the importance of milk recording in the absence of preventative antimicrobials, on the dairy farm
29 April 2022
Perfecting potato disease predictions
Teagasc highlights the impacts of its latest research in "Research impact highlights in 2020". Research into potato blight undertaken by Steven Kildea and Mladen Čučak qualified as one of the highlights. Teagasc is engaged in an extensive range of research of national and international collaboration
29 April 2022
Tillage Update 28th April 2022
Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Tillage Specialist reports on the progress of tillage crops this week. He notes that BYDV is a concern for some winter barley growers in parts of the south. All crops are progressing well otherwise with low disease levels and Ciaran provides advice for managing this
28 April 2022
The Cullinane Monitor Farm in West Cork
John and Veronica Cullinane are dairy farming with their three children; Eoin, Aoife and Laura in Ballineen. Co Cork. They milk 140 cows on a milking platform of 53 hectares and farm outside blocks for replacement heifers and silage. Aoife Healy, Teagasc Dairy advisor discusses their April tasks
27 April 2022
Grass10 Newsletter - 26th April 2022
In this week's Grass10 e-newsletter; PastureBase Ireland growth figures, Grass10 Weekly Tips, Grass growth and soil temperature predictions, Grass10 Farmer David Gannon, Red clover for silage swards and Aidan Maguire, Drystock GFOTY on measuring grass. Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter here
27 April 2022
Should you consider clover in 2022?
Vincent Ronayne, Teagasc Advisor Ballinrobe, notes that Clover offers an alternative to expensive artificial fertilisers and helps towards Environmental Sustainability. Incorporating clover in grassland swards can to reduce costs, improve profitability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
27 April 2022
Donal Kavanagh Teagasc/Glanbia Signpost Future Farm Walk
The Signpost Programme, led by Teagasc, ran a farm walk recently in conjunction with programme partner Glanbia Ireland, on the dairy farm of Donal Kavanagh, Carrigeen, Baltinglass. Catch up on the farm details, breeding plans and herd health of the farm here in this article and series of videos
25 April 2022
The Signpost Series - Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Cattle & Pig Manure
On this episode of the Signpost Series which took place on Friday, 8th April, Mark Gibson, Head of Teagasc Outreach & Innovation Department was joined by Dr. Stephen Nolan, PIGergy Project & Mr. Shaun Connolly, GEBTech Project to discuss Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Cattle & Pig Manure.
23 April 2022
Future Beef Grass Update with Aonghusa Fahy
Mícheál Kelly, Teagasc Drystock advisor, Athenry, is on the farm of Aonghusa Fahy, Future Beef Programme participant in Tullira, Ardrahan, Co. Galway to discuss his current grassland management in a video here. Catch up on his breeding plans too in the latest BeefEdge podcast.
22 April 2022
Teagasc /FBD Student of the Year Awards 2021
Dave Moloney from County Cork is the 2021 Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year. The awards were presented by Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Dublin today Thursday, 21 April 2022.
22 April 2022
Save Slurry for Silage Fields
Christy Watson, Teagasc drystock advisor, Co. Kildare, has good advice here in this article and video on recycling slurry from the farm back onto the silage fields in planning for next winter's fodder. Slurry can provide much of the Phosphorus and Potassium requirements for silage and reduce costs
21 April 2022
Olivia Hynes Signpost Update - March
Olivia Hynes is a Future Beef farmer in Jamestown, Four Roads, Co. Roscommon participating in the Signpost programme. We get the March update on how she is progressing with growing grass and closing for silage, calving, grass demand, slurry and grass utilisation on the farm.
19 April 2022
Tillage and Biodiversity Photo Competition
Teagasc and Tillage Industry Ireland have launched a photo competition to highlight the contribution of the Irish tillage sector to biodiversity in our countryside. Biodiversity has always been important but its importance is increasingly being recognised.
17 April 2022
Environment Newsletter - April 2022
The latest edition of the Environment newsletter has information on: Dates for your diary; Wild bird cover - sowing and management; Message from ASSAP - Time to check silage storage; and details on the new training scheme - Agri-Environment Training Scheme (AETS).
16 April 2022
SmartCow Project linking European Research Infrastructures successfully
The SmartCow final conference took place on Wednesday, 6 April in Brussels, with the findings from the SmartCow consortium during the past four years presented.
12 April 2022
Sustainability Training Programme for Farmers and Co-operatives wins Top Accolade at National Training Awards
A ‘game changing’ new programme addressing the training and development needs of co-operatives and their farmer members and producers, as they work to reduce their carbon footprint, has won the prestigious Pearse Walsh Award.
11 April 2022
Longer days, more work, greater danger
Spring is here, and with it peak workload. Reduce your risk of injury or even death with some simple precautions. Francis Bligh and John McNamara Teagasc Health and Safety specialists have suggestions for keeping safe at calving time, when handling slurry and around machinery here
10 April 2022
Is your Sprayer test due?
The sprayer on a typical 100ha tillage farm will apply in excess of €25,000 of PPP’s in a season and so a properly functioning sprayer is vital. Sprayer testing is now a fundamental activity on any tillage farm. Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Tillage Specialist discusses testing, buffer zones & spray drift
09 April 2022
Managing Roadside Trees
The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine has published guidance on managing roadside trees. Written by a panel of experts convened by the Tree Council, it presents a simple six-step process for landowners to follow. Co-author Eileen Woodbyrne summarises the advice and guidance in the booklet
09 April 2022
Fertilising for First Cut Grass Silage Factsheet
Teagasc recently published a compendium of 20 factsheets providing the latest technical advice on soils, nutrients and fertiliser. The tenth of these is about Fertilising for First Cut Grass Silage and can be read here. All 20 will be published here on Teagasc Daily
09 April 2022
LIME – The Cheapest Fertiliser in 2022
Lime application was, and is always the starting point of good soil nutrient management. Austin Callaghan, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Claremorris, describes it as the engine oil of our soils. With the great hike in fertiliser prices Austin has advice on making the best of lime this year
08 April 2022
Beef Strategies for 2022
This year has seen price inflation particularly on key inputs such as fertiliser, feed and projected contractor costs. This creates another challenging year for beef farmers who have shown significant resilience to date. Colm Kelly, Drystock Adviser, Teagasc Ballinasloe suggests ways to manage this
08 April 2022
Forest fires – what we can do
Steven Meyen, Teagasc Forestry Development Officer has good practical advice on what forest owners and visitors to forests can do, to prevent forest fires and to minimise the threat to their forests from wildfires during the current high risk season.
08 April 2022
Teagasc Signpost Programme Newsletter April 2022
In this month’s newsletter the climate action focus is on securing silage stocks for next winter in the context of high fertiliser prices. The newsletter outlines a blueprint for incorporating clover successfully into a grassland sward. Check out the Signpost farmers featured, soil health and more
08 April 2022
Climate Actions for March/April
Get advice from the Signpost Team summarised in Climate Actions for Grassland Farmers for March/April. There is a focus on winter feed budgeting and how to calculate your silage requirement. Get food and fodder security information for drystock and dairy farmers.
07 April 2022
Securing Winter Fodder Reserves – A priority for the Future Beef participants
Gabriel Trayers, Future Beef Programme advisor discusses Securing Winter Fodder Reserves – A priority for the Future Beef participants here. It is vital that all farmers plan to make top quality silage, which is what Shane Keaveny Future Beef participant in Co Roscommon is aiming for
06 April 2022
Grass10 Newsletter - 5th April 2022
This week's Grass10 newsletter has the Teagasc Clover Farm Walks upfront. Book your spot here. Get predicted growth & soil temperatures, the Grass10 weekly checklist, walk your farm every 5 days - one of the Grass10 weekly tips, featured farmer Oisin Gill, The Clover Reporter with Jim White and more
06 April 2022
Red Clover Silage Measure
The Red Clover Silage Measure (RCSM) aims to encourage farmers to sow red clover silage swards. A payment will be made to participating Co-op/Agri-retailers to assist farmers with the cost of buying red clover silage sward seed mixtures. This will help with the establishment of these swards
06 April 2022