Insights

Regular reseeding of pastures enables farmers to produce higher yields of better-quality grass, improving feed self-sufficiency and enhancing overall farm sustainability. It is recommended that 10% of the farm be reseeded annually. Current reseeding rates are estimated to be only 2% of the total grassland area. Although reseeding costs are substantial, currently estimated at €1,100/hectare […]

In Ireland, water policy and management is led by the Water Framework Directive. Under this directive, Ireland has been set a target of achieving at least ‘good status’ for all Irish waters by 2027. However, despite a lot of good work over the last 20-30 years we are falling short in achieving this target; in […]

Demonstration farmers are signed up to the Signpost Advisory Programme and AgNav. AgNav is a digital sustainability platform that helps Irish farmers measure, understand, and reduce their farms environmental impact by tracking emissions and guiding sustainability improvements. These farmers use AgNav to review their progress in adopting emissions-reducing technologies and to track their farm emissions […]

What is soil carbon and carbon sequestration? Soil carbon refers to the carbon stored within soils, mainly as soil organic matter (SOM), which is derived from decomposed plant material and microbial biomass. It is a vital component of healthy soils, helping to maintain fertility, support biodiversity, and sustain ecosystem functions. As the largest terrestrial carbon […]

Improving the efficiency of the national suckler herd is a key priority for the Irish beef industry. Research and on-farm evidence consistently show that cows with strong maternal traits and of moderate size deliver superior lifetime performance. Balanced genetic selection is essential to produce a suckler cow capable of meeting both profitability and sustainability targets. […]

Reproductive efficiency is a major factor determining production and ultimately the profitability of beef cow enterprises.  Annual statistics from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) suggest that less than 20% of heifers calve for the first time at the target average age of 24 (22-26) months and that the average calving-to-calving interval for Irish suckler […]

The current national average age at first-calving in suckler-bred heifers is 32 months with only 19% of heifers calving for the first time at 22-26 (~24) months of age. There is huge potential for improvement to this important reproductive key performance indicator. The top 10% of commercial suckler herds and research herds are consistently calving […]

In Irish grass‑based, spring‑calving suckler systems, calves are typically weaned in autumn. This often coincides with a change in weather, reduced grass availability, additional handling, housing, vaccination and sometimes transport or sale. The resulting stress response in the calf, especially when several of these stressors occur concurrently, can temporarily suppress immune function, increasing susceptibility to […]

Disease is a major cause of financial and animal production losses on beef farms, and even though it’s difficult to put a value on it, the labour and stress involved in a disease outbreak should also be taken into consideration when evaluating individual farm disease risks. The likelihood and consequences of a disease need to […]

Bluetongue is a viral disease caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). This virus is a double stranded RNA virus of the genus Oribvirus due to the ‘ring’ (‘orib’) appearance of its outer capsid. There are at least 29 different serotypes or strains of the virus, and each strain differs in the severity of disease that is […]