Grassland

'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

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

‘Smash and grab’ grazing and managing silage in the diet

The term ‘smash and grab’ when it comes to grazing has been a common saying among many farmers when discussing grazing management over recent days. As part of its weekly newsletter, the Teagasc Grass10 team look at the options available to maximise the use of grass in difficult conditions.
02 November 2023

Teagasc Fodder Survey Update October 2023

National situation stable, but 10% to 15% of farms require corrective action.
25 October 2023

Pick your paddocks now for next spring’s grazing

All farms should have started closing paddocks, the Teagasc Grass10 team has reminded farmers in its most recent weekly newsletter. Remember, every week delay in closing reduces spring grass supply by 100kg DM/ha.
13 October 2023

Closed period for slurry spreading around the corner

After being extended on two occasions over the last number of weeks, the closed period for the application of slurry will now commence on October 15th 2023.
13 October 2023

Annual meadow grass showing more resistance to herbicides

Leaving annual meadow-grass or grass-weed control until the spring is the least effective strategy, which may run the risk of resistance onset, writes Vijaya Bhaskar
02 October 2023

Multi-species grassland swards enhance soil biology

New research from the Teagasc Environment Research Centre, Johnstown Castle shows that higher plant diversity of intensively managed multi-species swards enhances belowground soil biodiversity and health.
26 September 2023

Seven-day extension to slurry spreading period

A one-week extension for the application of slurry has been granted, with the closed period for slurry spreading now commencing on October 8 rather than September 30, 2023.
22 September 2023

Sharpening the sward

At Teagasc Athenry, researchers have been investigating the use of mixed swards in pasture-based sheep production systems. The results suggest increased diversity may be beneficial for animal performance.
19 September 2023

Planning now for early Spring grass

Where does time go? As we enter the final third of the year and the final few weeks of the grazing season, now is the ideal time to put a plan in place to have high quality grass available for your stock next spring.
18 September 2023

Are you on track to hit mid-September grazing targets?

The requirement to build grass from August starts to become clear this week, the Grass10 team explain as part of its weekly newsletter.
15 September 2023

Minister Heydon launches farm Vehicle Safety and Blind Spots Video

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Mr Martin Heydon TD, launched a video ‘Farm Vehicle Safety and Blind Spots’ in Teagasc, Athenry yesterday.
15 September 2023

How do I plan for the last rotation?

On this week’s Beef Edge podcast, Catherine Egan is joined by the Grass10 team of John Maher, Joseph Dunphy and John Douglas with grazing tips and advice as the last grazing rotation approaches.
13 September 2023

Grassland Farmer of the Year to host farm walk

Diarmuid Fitzgerald, the Young Farmer and Overall Grassland Farmer of the Year 2022, will host a walk on Thursday, September 14th.
12 September 2023

'Save the Dates’ – Upcoming Teagasc Events

Teagasc has a wide variety of events & conferences taking place this autumn. These range from our presence at the National Ploughing Championships to the Poultry Broiler Conference, College Open Days & the popular Transferring the Family Farm Clinics.
12 September 2023

Key learnings from farm visits for the Grassland Farmer of the Year Competition

John Maher and John O’Loughlin from the Teagasc Grass10 Campaign join Emma-Louise Coffey on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the key learnings from farm visits for Grass10 competition applicants.
11 September 2023

Extend your grazing season by building autumn grass reserves

Although it is only early September, thoughts are turning to autumn and potentially housing cows. Michael Donoghue, B&T Dairy Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, highlights three things that will determine when cows will be housed on your farm. These are: (1) weather; (2) soil type; and (3) grass supply.
06 September 2023

Have you submitted your red clover or multi-species sward measure claim?

The facility to submit payment claims under both the red clover silage measure and the multi-species swards measure, both operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is now open.
30 August 2023

High risk time for bloat

Clover content is at its peak this time of year, so the risk of bloat can be higher.
28 August 2023

Specialised in-calf heifer producer to host farm walk

Michael Cunniffe, a specialised producer of in-calf suckler replacement heifers, will open the gates of his farm next week to highlight how he makes grass work in his system.
27 August 2023

Do perennial ryegrass swards persist on commercial grassland farms?

Maximising pasture intake of dairy cows is a key factor in determining profitability on Irish dairy farms. This is due to the low cost of producing pastures in Ireland where the most expensive aspect of pasture production is often reseeding, which is most recently estimated at €1,100/ha by Teagasc.
22 August 2023

Autumn reseeding - timing is crucial

Most grassland reseeding traditionally takes place in the autumn (August/September), with about one-third of reseeding occurring in late spring (April/May).
21 August 2023

Red clover a winner on suckler farms

Red clover for silage is being established on four farms in the Future Beef Programme for the first time this year. It is not a new crop to Ireland, so why is it increasing in popularity now? Aisling Molloy, Teagasc Future Beef Programme, tells us more.
20 August 2023

Is your farm on target for autumn grass build up?

This week, the Grass10 weekly newsletter focuses on building grass for the autumn, when to start extending the rotation, rotation length and target farm covers.
18 August 2023

Identifying the best perennial ryegrass varieties when reseeding

Regular reseeding of pasture allows farmers to grow increased yields of higher quality grass, thereby increasing feed self-sufficiency and sustainability of their farms.
07 August 2023

Wet weather management techniques back in play

After what has been described as the wettest July on record, which has resulted in grazing conditions becoming challenging on many farms, this week’s Grass 10 newsletter focuses on the implementation of wet weather management techniques.
02 August 2023

Maximising the return from grass in autumn 2023

Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, highlights the importance of autumn grassland management to maximise the value of your milk, save silage and keep your cost base lower.
31 July 2023

Are you the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year 2023?

The Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year competition aims to promote grassland excellence for all Irish livestock farmers. The competition recognises farmers who are achieving high levels of grass utilisation in a sustainable manner.
27 July 2023

Getting your Grazing Back on Track

With thundery showers & heavy rainfall throughout the country soil moisture deficits have disappeared. Grass growth rates have increased. It is important at this stage of the grazing season to keep quality in the sward and use this opportunity to remove paddocks with poor grass quality.
22 July 2023