Farming for a Better Future 2024 – Teagasc Johnstown Castle Open Day
A major Teagasc Open Day is planned for Tuesday, 16th July at the Teagasc Environment, Soils and Land Use Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, County Wexford. This Open Day will demonstrate technologies and practices for efficient, environmentally sustainable, profitable and more resilient farming systems, and the supports available to implement them.
“Farmers face significant challenges to maintain sustainability in a changing climate. We invite all farmers to join us at this open day to see the latest research that will help protect water quality, soil health, enhance biodiversity and reduce gaseous emissions.”
Dr David Wall, Enterprise Leader at Teagasc Johnstown Castle said; “There are an exciting range of technologies, ready and available for implementation by farmers, to help build resilience and improve the economic and environmental sustainability of farming systems. At this open day farmers and the wider agricultural industry will also get insights into what new things are coming in the research pipeline. I would urge all farmers to attend the upcoming open day to see what steps they can take now to improve their businesses, and to inform themselves of what new practices and technologies they could adopt in the future.“
Those who attend will be informed of the latest practices and technologies identified by research, and tested at field and farm system scales to help farmers improve their farming business. The open day aims to build understanding of the environmental challenges faced by the sector and to provide support to farmers and practical solutions that they can adopt. Practical management of the winter and spring dairy systems, the calf-to-beef herd and the new organic beef finishing trial at the Teagasc Johnstown Castle Research Centre will be presented and discussed during this open day. Tillage farmers are also encouraged to attend, to engage with the latest research on soil health, crop nutrition and cover crop establishment and management.
Announcing details of the Open Day, Dr Karen Daly, Head of the Teagasc Environment, Soils and Land Use Research Department said; “Farmers face significant challenges to maintain sustainability in a changing climate. We invite all farmers to join us at this open day to see the latest research that will help protect water quality, soil health, enhance biodiversity and reduce gaseous emissions.”
Launching the ‘Farming for a Better Future Open Day’ Teagasc Director Professor Frank O’Mara said; “Farmers are being asked to change and adapt their farming practices and farm management to reduce impacts on the natural environment. The science underpinning some of these requested changes arises from the research undertaken by Teagasc in the Environment, Soils and Land Use Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, and in its other research centres. This Open Day will bring together all of this available knowledge, with simple practical advice and messages for farmers to consider.”
Among the exhibits at the Open Day will be;
Management of red & white clover and multispecies swards
New information for successful management of grass-clover and multi-species swards under spring calving dairy and dairy calf-to-beef systems will be available. The latest research on red-clover silage swards and associated benefits and resilience of more diverse grassland swards will be presented.
Fertiliser and Manure Technologies
Get the latest information on sustainable fertiliser technologies, soil additives, bio-fertilisers and slurry amendments to help improve nutrient efficiency and grass growth, while reducing gaseous emissions, enhancing carbon sequestration and soil health. Information on how to benchmark Nitrogen (N) use efficiency on your farm and sustain production levels with less chemical N, will be available.
Better Farming for Water: 8 Actions for Change
Get the latest information on strategies to mitigate losses of phosphorus, sediment and nitrogen to water under three pillars of our water quality campaign: nutrient management, farmyard management and land management. Learn how to better target the right nutrient and sediment loss mitigation measures in the right place while optimising nutrient management and soil fertility. The ASSAP programme advisors will be on hand to discuss practical methods to protect water quality on your farm and to prepare for seasonal changes in weather in the future. The knowledge gained from the Agricultural Catchments Programme will also be presented.
Biodiversity
Learn about evidence-based actions to enhance farmland biodiversity. The latest practices to help maintain, enhance and develop new on-farm biodiversity areas, including hedgerow management, will be demonstrated. Find out how your hedges can be managed more effectively to help combat climate change by storing carbon, provide better shelter for grazing animals and promote biodiversity on your farm.
Dairy and dairy-beef systems
Dairy cow nutrition for winter milk production will be discussed, as well as an update on research into home grown protein sources for feed rations. The latest research on feed additives to reduce biogenic methane emissions from grazing livestock will be discussed. The results from the dairy-beef systems studies and insights from DairyBeef500 programme, and age of slaughter studies will be presented. Key benchmarks for measuring the efficiency, and the economic and environmental performance, of dairy and dairy-beef production systems will be disseminated.
The Signpost Programme
The latest learnings from the Signpost programme on climate action for all Irish farmers will be on show. This collaborative programme, led by Teagasc and includes over 100 Signpost farmers, all relevant industry partners, and state bodies, will present progress to date. Tips for reducing gaseous emissions from Irish agriculture, while reducing costs and creating more profitable and sustainable farming enterprises, will be available.
Teagasc Advisory and Education
Teagasc advisory services will be on hand to discuss how the agri-environmental schemes, organic farming scheme, or forestry scheme, including agro-forestry, can support farmers’ incomes and enhance your farm business. Information on transferring the family farm, applying through TAMS, slurry storage and other requirements will be available on the day. The next generation of farmers can also find information on education and training opportunities on offer through the Teagasc education programme.
Health and Safety for Sustainable Farming
Awareness of farmer wellbeing and aspects of health & safety on farms will be demonstrated at the open day. After the challenging year gone by, farmers will need to assess their resilience to the stresses of farming and ensure that they, their family and employees, are working in a safe and secure working environment.
Visit the Teagasc Environment Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, County Wexford on Tuesday, 16th July to see the Technologies to help you ‘Farm for a Better Future’.