Articles
“Bee kind” farming
“Bee kind” farming Today is #WorldBeeDay and Teagasc encourages farmers to adopt “Bee kind” farming, to look at ways of improving habitats and enhance biodiversity to support wild bees on Irish farmland. In Ireland there are 77 solitary bee species, 21 bumble bee species and 1 honey bee species. Did you know […]
20 May 2021
Precision Livestock Farming for Sheep – have your say
Precision Livestock Farming for Sheep – have your say A multinational team of researchers have been awarded funding from the EU Horizon 2020 network to share knowledge and improve uptake of new digital technologies which will help to increase the efficiency and sustainability of sheep and goat (small ruminant) farming systems in […]
18 May 2021
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