PICTURES: Farmers will be in 'clover' once the snow in fields melts away

ONE of the highlights of the 2024 farming calendar locally was having the Teagasc National Dairy Conference on in Limerick Racecourse

The importance of clover was one of the main topics which is ironic at the moment as  grass is under inches of snow. As silage supplies are tight enough it is hoped that a dry spell follows the snow.

In his opening remarks, Teagasc director, Professor Frank O’Mara said; “2024 was in many ways another tough year for dairy farmers, albeit it is ending on a good note with increases in milk prices and good autumn grazing conditions.

"Bad weather in the spring which continued into the summer led to a tough year for grazing and for conserving winter fodder. All in all, 2024 should see a good recovery in dairy farm incomes from the lows of 2023.  Our economists will present their estimates for 2024 farm incomes next week.”

Professor O’Mara continued; “Another important area is climate change, and some good progress is being made in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. The EPA reported that emissions from agriculture fell by 4.6% in 2023, and that trends in Q1 2024 indicated a further drop of 2.4%.  

“It is important to recognise that the actions of farmers have had a big effect.  Chief among these are the reduction of 30% in chemical nitrogen usage over the last two years and the switch to protected urea, with indications suggesting it made up about 27% of straight nitrogen usage in 2024.”

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The Teagasc director also addressed the ongoing work in Teagasc on incorporating clover in grassland swards to reduce chemical nitrogen applications. He said; “Clover is a big part of our advice to farmers who wish to reduce chemical nitrogen without impacting on pasture production.  

“Over the last 15 years or more, Teagasc has been researching the role of clover, and indeed multi species swards, in dairy systems at Moorepark, Clonakilty, Ballyhaise, Solohead and Johnstown Castle. We now have a large bank of data accumulated on which to base our advice for farmers, from across different systems, sward types, soil types and agro-climatic conditions.

“To ensure we are getting the most from these data, and that our advice is consistent with the research, we are commissioning an external peer review of our work on clover and multi species swards. This will help to ensure we maximise the potential from our research programme and help to identify gaps where further research is required.”

One of the many speakers was the multi-award winning Knockainey farmer, John Macnamara.

He had seven key messages for attendees which have certainly worked for him.

They are: grow grass with clover; better control of nutrient application; get a prediction of farm dry matter (DM) production and grass growth weekly; improve nature areas of the farm; improve carbon farm footprint; water quality awareness and make life easier for yourself with underpass, bridge and contractor usage.

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