Grass10 Clover Week 2024
Next week sees the launch of the Teagasc Grass10 Clover and Spring grazing management social media week, a full focus week of information on spring grazing management, strategies for feed conservation in 2024, and increasing the role of clover on farm.
"We aim to provide in a mix of long life videos, social media videos, links to the website and photos, the key messages delivered through a mix of farmer experience, grassland science researchers, advisors and industry".
This will be a full week of information on these topics from Monday, 22 April to Friday, 26 April on the Teagasc Grass10 and PastureBase Ireland social media accounts. The objective of the Grass10 social media week is to provide farmers, and support sectors, with knowledge on the key management strategies to ensure grazing moves back to normality on grassland farms, that building fodder reserves is prioritised in time, and clover incorporation starts on farms early this year.
The spring grazing management and Clover Week is part of the continued focus of the Teagasc Grass10 programme to improve nutrient use management at farm level. AIB, Grassland Agro, Irish Farmers Journal, FBD and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine sponsor the programme. Joe Dunphy, Grass10 advisor remarked; “Spring 2024 has been really challenging for farmers to get animals to grass. On many farms, livestock are just getting to grass this week, so there are decisions to be made on farms to get the grass growth wedge under control”. Part of the focus of the week will be to highlight what farmers are doing around the country to get their grazing management back on track.
Topics to be covered during the week include; getting the grass wedge back under control on farms; decision making around grass surplus for short term silage; guide for early silage conservation; establishing clover (through over-sowing and reseeding); management of an established sward and red clover; financial benefits of incorporating clover on farm; the importance of soil fertility for clover, and updates from Teagasc research and commercial farms on grazing and clover management.
Caitlin Looney, grassland researcher in Teagasc Moorepark stated; ‘We aim to provide in a mix of long life videos, social media videos, links to the website and photos, the key messages delivered through a mix of farmer experience, grassland science researchers, advisors and industry’. The spring grazing and clover week is a follow on to the spring grazing and clover walks which have just finished this week across the country.
Liam Woulfe, Managing Director of Grassland Agro, who is a sponsor of the Grass10 programme stated; “The wider Agri industry is very conscious of the role of good grassland management and the role of Clover on grassland farms. The use of legumes on farms is going to be central for future farm sustainability. We are really happy to support this social media week”.
White clover is a legume that fixes atmospheric Nitrogen, which will ultimately replace chemical Nitrogen in the longer term. In 2024, nearly 400 tonnes of clover seed was used on grassland farms and 40 tonne of red clover seed. The objective is to continue the upward curve in clover usage on farms.
Clover Week starts on Monday 22nd April and ends Friday 26th. Teagasc encourages all farmers to follow @teagascgrass10 on Instagram and ‘X’, @PastureBase on ‘X’ and join the Teagasc Grass10 Pasturebase Ireland Group on Facebook.
The week also coincides with the release of the Teagasc clover booklet, principles for the management and establishment of grass-white clover swards so that the benefits can be achieved at farm level.
View the Teagasc Clover Booklet at: