Environment

Agriculture – a powerful tool for carbon sequestration and emissions reduction?

0 Agriculture – a powerful tool for carbon sequestration and emissions reduction? Carolanne O’Brien, Project Advisor on the ClimateSmartAdvisors Project reports from this week’s Carbon Farming Summit in Dublin, where agriculture’s role in becoming a powerful tool for carbon sequestration and emissions reduction was explored. From March 4th to 6th, 2025, over 500 […]
7 March 2025

Final chance to enter 2025 Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards

0 Final chance to enter 2025 Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards With a total prize fund of €30,000, farmers have just days left to apply for the 2025 Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards. Closing to applications on Thursday, March 13, the awards, which are generously supported by FBD, aim to promote environmentally sustainable farming and […]
5 March 2025

Enteric methane: generating new baselines

0 Enteric methane: generating new baselines Improving enteric methane emission estimates from ruminant livestock is an important step towards more informed decision- making on appropriate mitigation strategies. Agriculture is the largest contributor to Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile, with enteric methane from ruminant livestock accounting for approximately 63% of all agricultural GHG […]
4 March 2025

Boosting Biodiversity: The FarmBioNet Project Kicks-off

0 Boosting Biodiversity: The FarmBioNet Project Kicks-off The FarmBioNet Project, uniting 33 partners from 13 countries kicked off in Dublin recently. This EU-funded initiative champions biodiversity-friendly farming while ensuring agricultural productivity. Claudia Barry, Meritxell Grau and Saorla Kavanagh tell us more. The Farmer-Focused Biodiversity and Agricultural Knowledge Network (FarmBioNet) Project held its kick-off […]
4 March 2025

Protect our birds: No hedge cutting in nesting season

0 Protect our birds: No hedge cutting in nesting season Hedges are essential for many bird species. They offer food, shelter, and nesting sites. Cutting hedges at the wrong time can harm birds and their young. Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, tells us more. Hedge cutting is prohibited between 1 March and […]
3 March 2025

The implications for forest owners after Storm Éowyn

0 The implications for forest owners after Storm Éowyn With 24,000 hectares of forestry windblown as a result of recent storms, making up 3% of the total planted forestry in Ireland, where can forest owners go from here and what support and advice is available? More episodes and information from the Environment Edge
3 March 2025

Everything farmers need to know about putting solar panels on sheds

0 Everything farmers need to know about putting solar panels on sheds Barry Caslin highlights how farmers, blessed with extensive roof areas ideal for solar panel installations, can turn these underutilized areas into energy-generating assets. This can help meet their energy needs & provide the potential to contribute to the national grid. Why […]
3 March 2025

Getting the most from your slurry

0 Getting the most from your slurry Organic manure is a valuable source of plant nutrients. To get the most from the phosphorus (P) & potassium (K) content, as well as the nitrogen (N) in slurry, it must go to the right place at the right time & be spread at the right […]
3 March 2025

Valuing slurry – the importance of testing

Valuing slurry – the importance of testing Organic manures such as slurry are a very valuable resource. Not only can they boost soil fertility, but when used effectively, they can allow for considerable savings on chemical fertiliser spend. Joining Cathal Somers and Deirdre Glynn on a recent episode of the Environment Edge […]
18 February 2025

From the ground up: ten years of SIS

From the ground up: ten years of SIS Ten years ago, the Irish Soils Information System (SIS) was launched. Senior Research Officer Réamonn Fealy reviews its historical context, development and usage – and considers emerging demands for soil data and how these may be met by technology. Due to the legacy of […]
15 February 2025