27 October 2023

Reaping the rewards from sustainability measures in Co. Leitrim

Farming just outside Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, Teagasc Signpost Programme participant John O’Connell is reaping the rewards of implementing sustainability measures on his farm.

Operating a mid-season lambing flock and a contract dairy heifer rearing enterprise, this article focuses on the nine steps John has taken on board to reduce emissions on his farm. All these changes have been positive for John, leading to increased productivity, reduced costs and more money in his back pocket. 

Step 1: Liming

John started to tackle the soil pH problem on his farm 7-8 years ago. He had soil pH of 5.7 and has increased this to the optimum of 6.3.  He soil sampled regularly, every 2-3 years, to help identify the paddocks needing lime. With the implementation of a liming programme, he has seen a huge impact on grass yield and grass quality.

Step 2: Optimise soil phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) indexes

This is a work in progress. Soil indices have gone from 1-2 for P and K to index 3 and some 4s. He is using 18:6:12 and 10:10:20 to lift these indices. 

Improving the lime and P and K status of his lands has brought benefits, John added: “I am measuring grass for the last 9-10 years and I have seen my yields go from 7-8 tonnes up to 13-14 tonnes DM / ha.” 

Step 3: Using protected urea

John has also adopted the use of protected urea and it has been the main nitrogen source on the farm since 2018. He finds it gives great flexibility and is cheaper than CAN or unprotected urea.

Step 4: Slurry

Better use of slurry is also been made and 50% was applied using LESS equipment in 2022. On the management of slurry on his farm, John said: “I go with little and often, for example after a light crop of silage I will apply 1,500-2,000 gallons. The LESS allows me to get the best value out of the nutrients in the slurry and also gives me the flexibility to get back in to graze ground after applying slurry.” 

Step 5: Reducing chemical nitrogen use

Chemical nitrogen use has also been reduced – down 21% from 2021 to 2022 with no negative impact on the quantity of grass grown.

Step 6: Grassland

John has put good grazing infrastructure in place and is grass measuring, which has allowed John to increase the quality of his grass and increase grass yield, this reducing his feed costs and improving animal performance.      

Step 7: Health

John has also implemented a health plan on the farm, making use of the local vet and regional vet lab. This plan encompasses there key areas:

• Lameness – put in a batch footbath;
• Dosing – John does faecal egg sampling to decide when to dose, making sure he gets the most from the dosing he is doing, rather than blanket dosing and building up resistance;
• John has designed a vaccination programme for the flock. Healthy ewes are productive ewes and have less emissions.

Step 8. Breeding and prolificacy

John is using the EuroStar index when selecting rams. For maternal, he used 5-star sires and for the terminal index, he is focussed on reducing the days to slaughter.

The weaning rate target is 1.8. To get this, he likes to scan 2.0-2.1 and the focus on flock health and vaccination is critical in achieving this through reduced mortality.

Ewe lambs are also mated on the farm, which not only boosts output but also ensures that these animals are productive for an extra year.

Step 9: Clover

John likes to get clover in early, using min-till to establish the sward after silage.  He makes sure pH is 6.3-6.5. To ensure persistency, he keeps nitrogen applications low and grazes it until mid to late December. These swards are grazed regularly at light covers to allow light access to the base of the sward. By including clover, John has been able to reduce his chemical nitrogen applications.

John featured on a recent episode of the OviCast podcast to discuss the sustainability measures he has implemented at farm level. Listen in below:

This article forms part of Teagasc Signpost Sustainability Month. For more information on the activities planned over the month of October, click here.

Also read: Planning for the autumn with Shay Ryan

Also read: Edwin Thompson is making strides in increasing the sustainability of his farm

Also read: Taking steps to improve sustainability on a west Cork dairy-beef farm

Also read: How these dairy farmers more than halved chemical nitrogen applications

Also read: Using yield maps to make better decisions in the future