Articles
Delaying silage cutting date will have negative effects on silage quality & quantity for dairying
Delaying silage cutting date will have negative effects on silage quality & quantity for dairying Grass silage makes up about a quarter of the annual feed budget on the average dairy farm. With below average growth rates in late April/early May, James Dunne, Dairy Specialist Ballyhaise, answers the common question: “should silage […]
17 May 2021
Heat Detection by Tail Painting
Heat Detection by Tail Painting Heat detection is key to achieve your herd targets this breeding season. Most cows display signs of heat between the hours of 9pm and 7am so relying on observation alone to identify cows in heat could easily result in cows being missed. Tara Heaney, KT Walsh Scholar […]
16 May 2021
Lockdown changed Irish shopping and cooking behaviour
Lockdown changed Irish shopping and cooking behaviour Are you a ‘Covid coper’ or a ‘restless restrictor’ ? Early 2020 lockdown boosted confidence in cooking and preparing healthier meals, and could offer teachable moments to promote healthier eating long term, says new research involving Teagasc’ s Professor Maeve Henchion and Dr Sinead McCarthy […]
15 May 2021
Ireland’s Trees: our heritage 10,000 years in the making
Ireland’s Trees: our heritage 10,000 years in the making Teagasc’s virtual forestry adviser, Ciara, tells the story of forests in Ireland – from the last Ice Age to the present day. A heritage, 10,000 years in the making…She describes the climate affect of forestry development, the decline in forestry as agriculture developed […]
14 May 2021
Beware of wild flower mixes as you might get more than you paid for
Beware of wild flower mixes as you might get more than you paid for The highly invasive Blackgrass weed was found in a commercial wildflower mixture that was grown in an experimental plot in Carlow. If this weed is widespread in mixtures which were planted on farms, schools, gardens, and amenity areas […]
13 May 2021
Why all the fuss about sulphur?
Why all the fuss about sulphur? Sulphur (S) is an important nutrient for grassland production, and is closely associated with nitrogen uptake and efficiency. If there is a sulphur deficiency present it will decrease the nitrogen use efficiency and reduce yield. Martina Harrington Beef Specialist outlines the importance of Sulphur As the […]
12 May 2021
Lambing Health Review
Lambing Health Review Lambing has finished on farms so now is a good time to look back and review how it went. It is important that farmers reflect on the positives and negatives, while it is fresh in their minds according to Colm Murray, Teagasc Advisor Athenry. A health review is as […]
12 May 2021
The challenges of herbicide-resistant grass weeds
The challenges of herbicide-resistant grass weeds Grass weeds are a growing problem in tillage fields and herbicide resistance is adding massively to the extent of those challenges, writes Vijaya Bhaskar, Teagasc Researcher. Problem grass weeds such as wild oats, sterile brome, Italian ryegrass and black-grass can cause yield losses of over 80% […]
12 May 2021
Making quality silage for sheep
Making quality silage for sheep The guideline silage requirement for the average lowland ewe is 0.15 tons pit silage/ewe/month or 0.19 bales/ewe/month. Damian Costello, Sheep Specialist Teagasc Athenry, discusses making quality silage for sheep, has tips for successful silage making and a link to a recent webinar on it here Where ewes […]
11 May 2021
How many Dairy replacements do we need?
How many Dairy replacements do we need? Increased focus on improving beef traits from the dairy herd has led to a key breeding recommendation to only generate enough heifers to meet your replacement requirements. But how many replacement heifers are required on your farm? Joe Kelleher, Teagasc Dairy Advisor Newcastle West, answers […]
10 May 2021