Articles
A deep dive into pasture quality with Dr Mike Dineen
A deep dive into pasture quality with Dr Mike Dineen The improvement in growth rates and grazing conditions has turned the focus to correcting grass quality to make sure herds meet their nutritional needs throughout the breeding season. For this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, Teagasc Senior Research Officer, Dr Mike Dineen joins […]
20 May 2024
Optimising your summer stocking rate
Optimising your summer stocking rate Grazing conditions have been difficult this spring and, as a result, grass quality on a lot of farms needs correction, writes James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, who offers tips on optimising your summer stocking rate for the June to August period to maximise herd performance. Best practice […]
20 May 2024
Herbicide resistance update for grass weeds
Herbicide resistance update for grass weeds Vijaya Bhaskar, Teagasc Oak Park, tells us how difficult-to-control grass weeds such as Italian ryegrass, blackgrass, wild oats and bromes pose herbicide resistance problems on our tillage farms. The 2023 testing of resistance-suspect populations of these weeds revealed a worrying situation, as 60% (34 out of […]
20 May 2024
The wonderful world of bees
The wonderful world of bees As today, May 20, marks World Bee Day, Teagasc Research Officer, Saorla Kavanagh tells us there are over 20,000 bee species worldwide and 102 of these are native to Ireland. She also outlines five key actions to consider if you want to help bees. Each bee species […]
20 May 2024
Why is slurry so dangerous?
Why is slurry so dangerous? Farmers in Northern Ireland were lucky to escape with their lives in April, when they were involved in a slurry gas incident. Now is the time to think, plan and act to avoid these potential tragedies on our farms. Dr. John McNamara and Francis Bligh, Teagasc Health […]
20 May 2024
Growing Wild: Lousewort and Meadow Foxtail
Growing Wild: Lousewort and Meadow Foxtail Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, takes a closer look at some of our native Irish biodiversity, focusing this time on Lousewort and Meadow Foxtail. Lousewort Look out for lousewort, one of the positive indicator plants on the ACRES grassland and peatland scorecard, meaning that fields […]
19 May 2024
FRS Training: Best Practice in Milking
FRS Training: Best Practice in Milking Attracta Dooley from FRS Training and Chloe Walsh, a secondary school teacher who helps her husband Pat on their farm outside Durrow in Co. Laois, join Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to talk about the upcoming FRS Training Best Practice in Milking Courses. […]
18 May 2024
Silage 2024 – quality and quantity needed
Silage 2024 – quality and quantity needed Recent weather reinforces the need to have quality silage reserves. Do not delay first-cut silage in order to bulk up the crop and replenish diminished silage stock. Delaying is likely to have a negative effect on silage quality, as well as reducing the total yield […]
18 May 2024
Getting back on track in south Mayo
Getting back on track in south Mayo Michael Biggins and his son Niall farm just outside the village of Glencorrib in south Mayo. Gabriel Trayers, Teagasc Future Beef Advisor, tells us how they are getting back on track after a difficult spring, focusing on replenishing silage stocks, introducing a red clover sward […]
18 May 2024
Reducing nutrient losses from farm roadways
Reducing nutrient losses from farm roadways Sharing the key findings of the Roadrunner project, Owen Fenton, Karen Daly, John Murnane and Patrick Tuohy address the impact of farm roadway runoff on water quality in Ireland. The Nitrates Directive aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nutrients from agricultural sources, including […]
17 May 2024