Grassland

Make soil sampling a priority this winter

0 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. For many farmers, the grazing season has ended […]
3 November 2023

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

0 ‘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 […]
2 November 2023

Teagasc Fodder Survey Update October 2023

Teagasc Fodder Survey Update October 2023 National situation stable, but 10% to 15% of farms require corrective action. Teagasc has recently updated the National Fodder Survey across dairy and drystock farms nationwide. It comes as a follow-up to a provisional survey completed in late June after first-cut silage completion, and forms part […]
25 October 2023

Pick your paddocks now for next spring’s grazing

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. To get good clean outs on paddocks, farmers are encouraged to […]
13 October 2023

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

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. Predicted growth rates (ranging from 48 to 66kg DM/ha/day) will match or drop below demand on some farms (average demand […]
15 September 2023

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

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. Farmers who have successfully applied for either scheme must […]
30 August 2023

High risk time for bloat

High risk time for bloat Clover content is at its peak this time of year, so the risk of bloat can be higher. To reduce the risk of bloat occurring, farmers need to be consistent, reemploy the strip wire when allocating grass, use bloat oil, include fibre in the diet and manage […]
28 August 2023

Do perennial ryegrass swards persist on commercial grassland farms?

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 […]
22 August 2023

Is your farm on target for autumn grass build up?

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. Now is the time to focus on target farm cover, extending the rotation length and grass budgeting, […]
18 August 2023

Identifying the best perennial ryegrass varieties when reseeding

0 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. The Pasture Profit Index (PPI) is used when deciding ‘what varieties to sow in my reseeded sward?’. The PPI outlines, in […]
7 August 2023