With visitors from far and wide descending onto Screggan, Co. Offaly for the National Ploughing Championships, Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer, Michael Gottstein gives us a flavour of what to expect at the Teagasc Sheep Display at the three-day event.

Diverse swards enhance lamb performance and reduce emissions

Incorporating companion forages with perennial ryegrass (PRG) significantly improves lamb growth and environmental outcomes. Research shows that adding plants like white clover, red clover, chicory or plantain to PRG boosts lifetime lamb average daily gain (ADG) by 14 to 33 grams per day. This increase in growth rate shortens the lambs’ age at slaughter by 16 to 32 days.

Faster growth and earlier finishing reduce the total farm gate carbon emissions by 1.2 to 2.6 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of carcass. This reduction is primarily due to shorter lifespans to slaughter and a lower requirement for concentrate feeds to finish lambs. (i.e.  5 – 10kg per lamb).

Emission measurements across different sward types reveal that PRG alone produces the highest emissions, while mixes like PRG with white clover or chicory show reduced emissions. PRG combined with plantain showed higher emissions compared to other companion forages.

We will have a live exhibit with lambs from different sward types on display to discuss lamb finishing system options with visitors.

Find out more about Teagasc at the National Ploughing Championships 2025 here.