Grassland
How grass can be made into milk and cheese
On World Milk Day Teagasc Staff; Marion Beecher, Emer Kennedy, Eimear Ferguson and Margie Egan, are together addressing the questions you have about cows. How much does a cow eat and drink in a day? How much milk does a cow produce and what is the milk used for? More questions & more answers here...
01 June 2021
Increasing the productivity of a grass based, mid-season lambing system
Shane Moore, BETTER Farm sheep participant has been developing the farm infrastructure in recent years to allow him to increase output from his flock while controlling costs and improving profitability. Join our Let’s Talk Sheep webinar series this Thursday evening at 8pm and hear all. Register here
01 June 2021
Greenhouse Gases – Innovative Farm Programme
The Innovative Farm Programme project aims to promote innovative livestock farming systems and associated practices to ensure the technical, economic, environmental and social sustainability of beef farms. Graham Waters, Naas Advisor and Ricky Milligan discuss the benefits of it on Ricky' s farm
30 May 2021
Too much grass can be a problem too!
As we are heading into a period where grass growth exceeds grass demand, dairy farmers will need to be extra vigilant that they don’t fall into the trap of grazing grass covers that are ‘gone too strong’. James Moyles, Teagasc Dairy Advisor, Co. Offaly has options for managing grass and quality here
28 May 2021
Agriculture and Water
Paula Browne, ASSAP Adviser, Teagasc Clare looks at ways to minimise losses of nutrients, sediment and pesticides to water from farming. A number of key considerations should be central to minimising any pollution potential to our watercourses and these are outlined here.
27 May 2021
Could your Farm benefit from Alternative Fodder Crops?
In the next few months we will see farmers saving their winter feed. Grass growth last week from Pasturebase Ireland was 57kgDM/ha similar to the same week last year at 60kg DM/ha. Improvement is expected, however Keith Fahy, Athenry Advisor, looks at alternatives for farmers as a winter feed source
27 May 2021
Gearing up for grazing 2021
Weeks of poor grass growth leading to shortfall in grass supply versus demand has been difficult. As grass is now at or near heading stage, quality needs managing. Improving grazing infrastructure on farm allows better control of grass. Catherine Egan Beef Specialist explains exactly how to do this
26 May 2021
Controlling lameness in sheep
Lame sheep do not thrive to their full potential (lower growth rates, fertility and survival) and this loss in production combined with the cost of treating lame sheep represents a huge cost to sheep farmers. Michael Gottstein, Teagasc Head of Sheep KT, outlines the steps to reduce lameness in sheep
26 May 2021
Managing Margins with Nature in Mind
Thinking "outside the field" and managing the margins with nature in mind can contribute to the improvement of biodiversity on Irish farms. Aoife Leader, Teagasc Walsh Scholar, highlights some key actions that farmers can take to retain, maintain and enhance field margins for farmland biodiversity
26 May 2021
Slurry Storage, Have you enough?
The impact of dairy farming systems on the environment is of critical importance in gaining access to premium dairy markets that will return a good milk price to the farmer. Tom Curran, Regional Manager, Cork West and Tim Hyde, Environment Specialist, Teagasc discuss slurry storage as a key factor
25 May 2021
Continuing the Sheep Farming journey
Trim farmer Peter McGuinness, who won the 2020 Sheep Grassland Farmer of the Year, and Edward Egan, Teagasc advisor Navan, Co Meath, review the lambing season and look forward to summer management.
25 May 2021
Results of Teagasc Protected Urea trial finds no residues
A new scientific paper was published in the past week with results from a trial on using protected Urea on the Teagasc farm at its Environment research centre, Johnstown castle. Irish farmers are being encouraged to switch from using CAN fertiliser to protected Urea, as part of reducing emissions
23 May 2021
Lowering the Carbon Footprint of Milk Production at Solohead Research Farm
Following rapid expansion there is an immense challenge to lower the environmental impact of dairy farming. At Solohead Research Farm we have designed and tested systems for lowering the carbon and ammonia footprints of milk production. James Humphreys, Researcher has details in a short video here
23 May 2021
Unlocking Silage Potential
Silage quality ranges from 58% - 78% dry matter digestibility (DMD) nationally, but the average is poor at 65% DMD. Having silage of high quality (70% DMD+) will ensure good daily liveweight gains and cuts down on meal costs. Gabriel Trayers Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Tuam advises on high DMD silage
22 May 2021
Farmers are part of the solution - Biodiversity Day 2021
Saturday May 22nd 2021 is International Biodiversity Day. The theme for this year is: 'We're part of the solution'. We’re all part of nature, so we must be part of the solution for biodiversity loss and climate change. What actions can farmers take?
22 May 2021
Growing Maize Silage Considerations
Eighty percent of maize in Ireland is grown specifically for the production of maize silage and can be used as a winter feed in both dairy and beef production systems. While grass is the most popular winter feed, Eamonn Dempsey, Teagasc Advisor outlines why maize silage might be worth considering
21 May 2021
"Bee kind" farming
Today is #WorldBeeDay and Teagasc encourages farmers to adopt "Bee kind" farming, to look at ways of improving habitats and enhance biodiversity to support wild bees on Irish farmland. In Ireland there are 77 solitary bee species, 21 bumble bee species and 1 honey bee species.
20 May 2021
Launch of The Signpost Programme
The Signpost Programme was launched on Tuesday, 18 May. Hosted by RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground presenter Helen Carroll, the online webinar demonstrated how the new Teagasc led collaborative programme will support Irish farmers in reducing emissions from agriculture. Catch up on all the highlights here
18 May 2021
Meet the Teagasc Signpost Team
The new Signpost Programme – Farmers for Climate Action, will be launched tomorrow Tuesday, 18 May. Today we meet the Signpost Programme team who will work with farmers, and the partner organisations to prompt climate action by all Irish farmers.
17 May 2021
Delaying silage cutting date will have negative effects on silage quality & quantity for dairying
Grass silage makes up about a quarter of the annual feed budget on the average dairy farm. With below average growth rates in late April/early May, James Dunne, Dairy Specialist Ballyhaise, answers the common question: “should silage cutting date be delayed to allow first cut yields to increase?”
17 May 2021
The Teagasc Signpost Programme Launch
The official launch of The Teagasc Signpost Programme, a collaborative programme to lead climate action by Irish farmers and their transition towards more sustainable farming systems.
16 May 2021
Farming Tips for May
Emma Sherlock, Teagasc Walsh Scholar, Clonakilty Advisory picks out a few key management actions farmers should be taking on during the month of May. These include care of the replacement heifer & breeding targets, farm safety at silage making, grass & fertiliser update and flock health
15 May 2021
Plan a Safe Silage Season in 2021
The weather has been cold of late and that has delayed the silage season but as the season gets into ‘full swing’ attention to safety is critical at silage making. Plan a safe silage season is a key message from John McNamara and Francis Bligh, Teagasc Health & Safety Specialists here
14 May 2021
Teagasc Green Acres Virtual Farm Walk with Jarlath and Austin Ruane
On Thursday 13th May, Jarlath and Austin Ruane, farmer participants of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme hosted a virtual event from their farm in Claremorris, Co. Mayo through the use of social media and video. You can watch back the footage here to gain an insight into their farm
13 May 2021
Beware of wild flower mixes as you might get more than you paid for
The highly invasive Blackgrass weed was found in a commercial wildflower mixture that was grown in an experimental plot in Carlow. If this weed is widespread in mixtures which were planted on farms, schools, gardens, and amenity areas across the country it poses a huge risk of contamination to crops
13 May 2021
Why all the fuss about sulphur?
Sulphur (S) is an important nutrient for grassland production, and is closely associated with nitrogen uptake and efficiency. If there is a sulphur deficiency present it will decrease the nitrogen use efficiency and reduce yield. Martina Harrington Beef Specialist outlines the importance of Sulphur
12 May 2021
Making quality silage for sheep
The guideline silage requirement for the average lowland ewe is 0.15 tons pit silage/ewe/month or 0.19 bales/ewe/month. Damian Costello, Sheep Specialist Teagasc Athenry, discusses making quality silage for sheep, has tips for successful silage making and a link to a recent webinar on it here
11 May 2021
The Benefits of Using Low Emission Slurry Spreading on Drystock Farms this Summer
Low Emissions Slurry Spreading technology (LESS) has become a common sight on Galway farms in recent years. Umbilical pipes, dribble bars, trailing shoes and injection systems are replacing the traditional splash plate. Bryan Donnelly, Advisor Teagasc Galway highlights the benefits of LESS
10 May 2021
Will it ever Grow?
Mícheál Kelly, Advisor, Teagasc Galway is somewhat frustrated with the weather effect on grass growth currently but takes hope from Grass Growth Predictions for the week ahead. He stresses the importance of getting fertiliser out now, getting good grass utilisation and planning for silage making
09 May 2021
New Anaerobic Digestion (AD) project commences
Teagasc recently held the first online meeting of the technical working group for a new Anaerobic Digestion (AD) project called FLEET. Teagasc economist Dr Fiona Thorne is the principal investigator on the FLEET project, supported by the SEAI Research and development fund. Read more here
07 May 2021