The Food Vision Dairy Group’s draft interim report includes ambitious targets for the adoption of clover and multi-species sward by 2025.
It also recommends that mandatory milk recording and low-emissions slurry spreading (LESS) are considered, with a 100% uptake by 2025 also.
The report includes 17 recommendations, which are broken down into two groups.
Group A deals with direct measures to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the dairy sector; while group B deals with less direct ‘enabling factors’ to support a cut in emissions.
Included in the enabling factors are:
- Increase investment in climate change research and in knowledge transfer (KT) and establish a Climate Change Research Liaison Group (CCRLG ) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
- Develop a climate action communications strategy;
- Increased adoption of low-emissions slurry spreading;
- Nitrogen use efficiency – liming and soil pH – ensure 100% of dairy farms are soil testing for pH;
- Clover adoption and Multi-Species (MSS) – ensure 100% adoption by the end of 2025;
- Milk recording – ensure 100% adoption rate by end of 2025;
- Develop energy diversification opportunities;
- Co-op sustainability programmes.
Clover adoption
In relation to clover and multi-species sward adoption, the report recommends a 100% adoption rate by the end of 2025 for dairy farmers.
This would provide an “immediate opportunity to build efficiency in fertiliser use”, especially now that prices of fertilisers have increased substantially, the report stated.
It would also facilitate reduction of chemical nitrogen use.
The Teagasc MACC analysis has assumed an uptake of 25% on dairy farms and 15% on beef farms in reseeded land between 2021 and 2030, according to the report.
The adoption of clover is considered a “critical enabling measure” by the group.
Key challenges to the uptake, the report outlined, include encouraging adoption and sourcing seed, as potential bottlenecks are anticipated.
Other targets recommended by 2025 include a 100% adoption rate of milk recording; ensuring that 100% of dairy farms are soil testing for pH; and ensuring 100% adoption of LESS for dairy farmers.
Milk recording
Milk recording, according to the report, should be supported by government, and the mechanism of funding/incentivisation/ subsidising and supportive actions should be defined as early as possible.
Government should review the possibility of making milk recording mandatory, according to the report.
LESS
LESS technologies result in better recovery of nitrogen during the application of organic manures, the report stated.
Ag Climatise sets a target of 60% of all slurry spread by LESS by 2022, 80% by 2025, and 90% by 2027.
Teagasc’s National Farm Survey data show that 36% of slurry was spread with LESS in 2020.
“Time and significant investment are needed,” the report stated.
“Farmers have shown a willingness to embrace this technology and adoption is moving at a fast rate. This momentum needs to be maintained and should be encouraged and incentivised through appropriate industry and state support.”
The group said that the potential mandatory adoption of this technology will also be required.