18 October 2022
Increasing farm biodiversity with Tim Leader, Teagasc Signpost Farmer
Grainne Hurley, Teagasc Dairygold Joint Programme, Adrian Curtain, Teagasc, and Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, visit the farm of Tim Leader, Signpost Farmer, to find out how he has increased biodiversity on the farm.
Tim Leader farms a Dairy, Dairy Replacements and Calf to Store/Beef enterprise with his wife Mary and their children Aoife and John in Kilcorney, Rathcoole, Co Cork. Patrick Rohan works as a full time farm assistant. Tim milks 145 dairy cows and runs a calf to store/beef system with the dairy progeny.
One objective Tim has is to increase his farm biodiversity to 10 percent. In order to achieve this, Tim planted a new hedgerow on his farm early last year as part of the Signpost programme. He planted hazel, rowan, holly and whitethorn in the hedgerow.
Tim wanted a topped hedge with a dense base, Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, showed how this can be achieved. Catherine said this can be done when the hedge is first planted, or after a season has passed, as is the case on Tim’s farm.
The first step is is to identify a whitetorn sapling which will be left to grow into a whitethorn tree to provide flowers and fruit. Put a tree guard on that sapling then prune all the others down to an inch or so above the ground because that’s the point where we want to thicken so instead of one stem we will end up with five. Next, roll the compostable film over the cut stumps to keep the weeds away, to conserve the moisture and nutrients and give the plants all the water, nutrients and space they need to grow. Finally pinch in the sides of the compostable film and hold down using stones.
Other Signpost Farm Measures Undertaken
Protected Urea
This is the 3rd year that Tim has used Protected Urea fertilizer instead of CAN on his farm and finds it very satisfactory.
Breeding
The EBI of the herd is €169 and the 2022 born heifers have an EBI of €223. The dairy herd calving interval is 369 days with an 80% six week calving rate. In 2021, the cows supplied 516 kg milk solids per head.
Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS)
Tim bought a trailing shoe slurry tanker. He spreads 100% of his slurry using the trailing shoe before the end of May. The use of the trailing shoe has allowed Tim to get more slurry out across more of the farm early in the year.
Soil Fertility
Soil fertility soil samples his farm every 1-2 years to monitor the soil pH, P and K. By optimising soil fertility Tim will improve the use of chemical nitrogen on the farm.
Extended Grazing
Tim is measuring grass on PastureBase Ireland to improve his grassland management and extend his grazing season each year.
Clover
Tim plans to increase the amount of clover in his grassland swards to reduce chemical Nitrogen spread on farm. Tim included 1.5kg/acre of clover into reseeded paddocks this year. He also incorporated red clover into his silage fields.
Other Actions
Tim planted 2ha of a broadleaf/conifer mixed forest on his farm in 2017. Any trees that failed have been replanted.
Clover
Tim plans to increase the amount of clover in his grassland swards to reduce chemical Nitrogen spread on farm. Tim included 1.5kg/acre of clover into reseeded paddocks this year.
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