Articles
Action needed to avoid ‘uphill battle’ on future nitrates derogations
Action needed to avoid ‘uphill battle’ on future nitrates derogations The future of Ireland’s nitrates derogation is dependent on farmers making the right choices and implementing measures to improve water quality, according to Eoghan O’Brien, Teagasc Sustainability Advisor. Speaking as part of an ASSAP / Signpost Programme webinar for farmers in the […]
25 January 2024
Plan your nutrients to maximise your spend
Plan your nutrients to maximise your spend Fertiliser is one of the largest variable costs every year on tillage farms. On the latest Tillage Edge podcast, Dr Veronica Nyhan, a tillage advisor in Teagasc, chats through the benefits of planning the correct nutrients for each crop in 2024. Veronica explains that the […]
25 January 2024
How much fertiliser can I buy?
How much fertiliser can I buy? ‘How much fertiliser can I buy?’ is a frequently asked question by farmers recently, writes Sean Mannion, B&T Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, who tells us more on the National Fertiliser Database, the importance of calculating your stocking rate and soil sampling requirements. 95% of farmers have signed […]
25 January 2024
Answering the key questions on the National Genotyping Programme
Answering the key questions on the National Genotyping Programme ICBF is writing to farmers, providing an information booklet, to answer the key and frequently asked questions they may have in relation to the National Genotyping Programme (NGP). The programme, operated by the ICBF, offers farmers the opportunity to genotype their herd at […]
24 January 2024
Sustainability focus areas for 2024
Sustainability focus areas for 2024 Dr Siobhan Kavanagh from the Signpost Programme is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss what areas you can focus on to make your farm more sustainable in 2024. The Signpost Programme is a multi-annual campaign to lead climate action by all Irish farmers. The programme […]
24 January 2024
Watch: A guide on drafting cattle
Watch: A guide on drafting cattle Drafting cattle for slaughter when they are actually fit to kill is a key management component of successful calf-to-beef systems. At a fat score of 3+, the carcass weight potential of Holstein Friesian steers is maximised. Moving too early or too late can result in penalties […]
24 January 2024
Save slurry for your silage ground
Save slurry for your silage ground Although slurry spreading is now permitted in Zones A and B, farmers have been reminded to plan carefully and to apply slurry in the areas where it gives the best response. Speaking as part of an ASSAP / Signpost Programme webinar targeted at farmers in the […]
24 January 2024
Beef calves coming earlier in the dairy calving season
Beef calves coming earlier in the dairy calving season Due to the breeding policies in play on dairy farms, beef-sired calves from the dairy herd tended to reach the market in the second half of the spring calving season. Now through the adoption of key technologies such as sexed semen, the use […]
23 January 2024
Farmer Focus: Michael Forde on managing a sheep and beef system on a fragmented farm
Farmer Focus: Michael Forde on managing a sheep and beef system on a fragmented farm For this week’s OviCast, we head west to Corrandulla, Co. Galway, to hear from sheep and beef farmer Michael Forde. A participant on the BETTER Sheep Farm Programme, Michael first discusses his farming system and some of […]
23 January 2024
Drafting and scanning on the BETTER Sheep farms
Drafting and scanning on the BETTER Sheep farms Frank Campion of Teagasc AGRIC reports on lamb drafting and pregnancy scanning on the BETTER Sheep farms. On the Co. Carlow flock, store lambs were purchased in September for grazing forage brassica crops. These lambs were housed for 48 hours at first and went […]
23 January 2024