Resilient grass-based systems for beef cattle
In beef production systems, feed provision is the single largest direct cost incurred, accounting for approximately 75% of total costs of production. Beef specialist Catherine Egan and researcher Mark McGee have advice and information
- Date
- 09 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Agricultural Emissions – greenhouse gases and ammonia
Greenhouse gases (GHG’S) and air pollutants are the two main categories of Agricultural emissions. Greenhouse gases have a negative impact on climate change. Air pollutants other type of gaseous emissions from agriculture. They negatively impact on human and animal health
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
ICBF: Breeding for more Sustainable Beef Production
ICBF uses performance, ancestry and genomic data from over 15 million beef cattle (the largest beef cattle database in the world). The goal is to identify the superior animals within the breeding program for key traits such as maternal milk, female fertility, cost of calving, cost of feed and carcass growth rate.
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Biodiversity Management Practices on Linear Habitats
Engaging in good biodiversity management practices on linear habitats has many positive benefits for farmers, farming and the envirnment. Here we have advice for farmers interested in improving biodiversity management practices and there is also an assessment sheet to assess current practices
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Conservation of Farmland Habitats
Conservation and protection of farmland wildlife and habitats is an important dimension of environmental sustainability. Aim to retain existing habitats, enhance degraded habitats then consider habitat creation
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Protecting soil carbon stocks and enhancing Carbon Sequestration
Soil organic matter is the biggest store of carbon on land. It is greater than the carbon in the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas which is a greenhouse gas. Researchers David Wall & Gary Lanigan have information on why maintaining soil organic matter levels is important?
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS)
Cattle slurry is a valuable source of N, P & K produced on farm. The nitrogen (N) in cattle slurry is in the ammonia form similar to N in urea fertilisers and as such can be easily lost to the atmosphere. Slurry application techniques such as trailing hose or trailing shoe reduce the surface area of the slurry compared to the splash plate thus reducing the loss of N as ammonia to the air.
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP)
The ASSAP is a new government / industry collaborative initiative running from 2018 - 2021. The programme offers a free support and advisory service (20 Teagasc and 10 Dairy Co-op advisors) and participation is voluntary. Its aim is to improve water quality through working with farmers
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
White Clover
White Clover will increase grass production and quality. It improves animal performance - 13% increase in animal carcass weight & 25% increase in lamb live weight gain. It saves €50/acre on Nitrogen fertiliser (save 110 units N/acre, CAN @ €250/t ) and gives a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article
Farming Influence on Water Quality- Findings of the Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP)
A better environment and supporting the production of high-quality food are the twin aims of the ACP. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, staff have been working with 300 farmers across six catchments in Ireland for over ten years to achieve these goals while also evaluating the Nitrates Directive regulations.
- Date
- 08 July 2020
- Type
- Media Article