22 November 2024
Signpost Programme playing an instrumental role in agriculture’s emissions reductions
The actions and knowledge sharing of the some 120 demonstration farmers enrolled in the Teagasc Signpost Programme has been instrumental in supporting Irish farmers to make greenhouse gas emission reductions.
That was a key message delivered by Director of Teagasc, Professor Frank O’Mara at the Signpost Conference and General Assembly on November 21.
Providing background to the programme and acknowledging industry support for its delivery, Professor O’Mara noted that it was developed to allow for farmer-to-farmer learning, enabling farmers across the country to see the latest and most appropriate technologies on farms in close proximity to their own, before implementing such technologies on their own farms.
Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, addressed the Signpost Conference and General Assembly on November 21. Pictured by Tom Ryan Casey.
The Signpost Programme, he noted, has become a very well-known programme, both nationally and internationally, and it has been a pivotal starting point in Irish farmers’ journey in reducing greenhouse gas emissions so far.
Commenting on the emissions reductions being achieved, Professor O’Mara cited data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noting: “In the last two years, we have seen reductions in emissions. In the last year, the reduction was 4.6% in agricultural emissions. That’s against the target of a 25% reduction by 2030 and indeed the indications from the EPA are that in 2024, first quarter emissions were down by a further 2.4%.
“That all stems from farmers doing things on their farms and adopting the key actions we have encouraged farmers to take on their farms.”
Two of these actions highlighted to delegates at the Signpost Conference and General Assembly by Professor O’Mara were the judicious use of nitrogen fertiliser and the switch to protected urea.
Although many factors have impacted on fertiliser usage on Irish farmers over recent years, the most notable being higher prices as a result of market volatility, Professor O’Mara noted that this made farmers focus on making the best use of the animal manures produced on their farms.
“We have seen over the last three years, fertiliser nitrogen usage has dropped by about 30%, which is where we wanted to get to by 2030, so very rapid progress has been made there,” he added.
On the changeover to protected urea, a key technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, Professor O’Mara noted that “huge strides” have been made nationally, with indications that 27% of straight nitrogen applications in 2024 were now in the form of protected urea.
He added: “The Signpost Demonstration Farmers and Signpost Programme have been very instrumental in this. The use of technologies on the Signpost farms is leading the way in terms of climate adaption at farm level, and they are ahead of the national average. For instance, about 67% of the nitrogen on Signpost Dairy Farms is in the form of protected urea, and its 53% on beef farms, well ahead of the national average.”
At a national level, he noted, that fertiliser reductions and the switch to protected urea have delivered about 1 million tonnes of CO2-e savings per year. Other initiatives of the Signpost Programme also discussed, were soil carbon and biodiversity measurements, with Professor O’Mara noting the later would become increasingly important with the development of carbon farming scheme.
Professor O’Mara also discussed the recently launched Signpost Advisory Programme – a programme through which 14,000 customised farm plans are in development.
“We have 21 advisors around the country doing individual plans with farmers. It is great to go to a demonstration farm and see the technologies, but implementing these technologies on other farms will be critical and the Signpost Advisory Programme will help farmers develop their own customised plans,” he noted.
Also read: Teagasc Signpost Conference and General Assembly
Find out more about the Teagasc Signpost Programme here
Find further information on the Teagasc Signpost Advisory Programme here