Dealing with the drought – Teagasc Advisory Messages
Following an extended spell of dry weather and the occurrence of drought conditions on many farms, Teagasc Head of Advisory Services, Tom Curran shared key advisory messages to support farmers dealing with drought through a recent National Fodder Meeting.
Convened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D., on August 18, the meeting featured representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and the main farm organisations.
Through his presentation to the collective, Tom Curran explained: “Teagasc advisors have been actively working on managing drought conditions and completing fodder budgets with farmers through one-to-one consultations, discussion groups, farm walks, targeted fodder clinics and national and local media since early July.”
“For most farmers the shortfall can be addressed through a combination of measures such as purchased forage, short-term grazing agreements and reducing stock numbers.”
Stressing the importance of fodder budgeting, he added: “Completing a fodder budget early allows farmers to take appropriate action. Ideally, all livestock farmers – but especially those who have been buffer feeding with silage from their winter feed reserves – should seek advisor support and complete a fodder budget now.
“Early and regular updating of this fodder budget allows farmers to act early, putting procedures in place at farm level to overcome the potential fodder shortage and to source local supplies of additional fodder, if needed.”
Where additional fodder reserves are required, the Teagasc representative also reminded farmers to allow for additional feed costs, urging careful management of cashflow and the prioritisation of spending on forage purchases.
Where feed gaps have been identified, grass, quality grass silage, concentrates (offered to a max of 6kg) and alternative buffer feeds should be considered. While, depending on the farm’s individual circumstances, reducing daily demand through off-loading surplus stock or bringing in additional land – if available – through short-term grazing arrangements should be considered.
On some farms, the prolonged period of dry weather has resulted in water systems coming under pressure. On this, the Teagasc Head of Advisory Services commented that ensuring livestock are supplied with an adequate supply of clean water is of paramount importance.
In circumstances where water supply issues occurred this year, he explained, farmers need to assess the functionality of their water system for future years. Areas to focus on are water trough capacity and the refill rate when stock are actively drinking. On outside blocks water can be a significant issue, additional water sources, such as availing of grants for solar pumps, could be considered.
Reflecting on a key learning from the drought experienced in 2018, Tom Curran reminded the meeting that nitrogen or slurry applications should not occur before the rain arrives on severely drought affected farms, noting that the sward should be green, tillering and actively growing before applying nutrients.
Describing the situation as “fluid”, Tom Curran also reminded farmers that where sufficient volumes of rain arrive, there may be a possibility to complete a third cut of silage. However, he encouraged all farmers to assess their stock numbers and feeding infrastructure for the winter months.
More from Teagasc Daily: Minister Heydon meets farm organisations on the impact on farming of prolonged dry weather