Salesian Agricultural College will host an open day on Saturday, November 5, to give prospective students an overview of the courses the college has to offer.

Situated on a 550ac farm in Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick, the college offers a wide range of practical training courses and programmes to the 852 students currently enrolled.

The farm is home to a 460-cow dairy herd, a dairy calf-to-beef enterprise and a flock of 100 mid-season lambing ewes and modern machinery and workshop experiences.

All of these enterprises allow students to put the theory learned in the classroom to use in a practical or hands-on way with sustainability to the fore.

Salesian College offers students a number of courses including:

  • Teagasc Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture;
  • Teagasc Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Dairy Herd Management);
  • Teagasc Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Drystock Management);
  • Teagasc Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Mechanisation);
  • Teagasc Distance Education Green Cert (For Award Holders);
  • Teagasc Part-Time Green Cert Programme;
  • Higher Certificate in Agricultural Mechanisation (TUS);
  • Bachelor of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering.

Adult Green Cert

The Green Cert training for adults is offered through the Teagasc Distance Education Green Cert Programme or the Teagasc Part Time Green Cert. Both courses are of 15 months duration and attendance in college is on Saturdays. 

The next course commences on October 22, 2022 and places are still available. More information on this can be found here.

Hands-on dairy experience

The college is home to a herd of 460 dairy cows, which currently sits within the top 1% of herds for economic breeding index (EBI) in the country. Grazed under a spring-calving grass-based system, the dairy herd has an average EBI of €197 and consists of a mixture of Friesian and some Jersey cross cows.

The dairy platform, which is laid out in 8ha paddocks, grew an average of 16.1t of dry matter (DM)/ha in 2021 and so far this year has grown 12.8t DM/ha.

The students who attend Salesian Agricultural College will be trained in grass measuring and budgeting; a weekly grass budget is prepared using PastureBase as well as all farm management requirements.

Sustainability

Salesian Agricultural College – Pallaskenry is a national leader in the demonstration and adoption of practices that employ science-based solutions to support agriculture production in sustainable manner.

  1. All straight nitrogen is applied as protected urea, this has been the case for the last four years;
  2. Soil sampling is done annually, with the January 2022 analysis indicating 98.9% of the farm at or above the target pH of 6.5;
  3. Soil fertility is good with 90% of the farm medium to high for phosphorus (index 3 and 4) with the remainder low (index 2).

73% of the farm is medium to high for potassium (index 3 and 4) with the remainder low (index 2).

  • All slurry is applied using Low Emissions Slurry Spreading, with a large percentage applied in the spring. This has been the practice for the last four years;
  • Lower applications of chemical nitrogen during the main growing season has allowed a lowering of total nitrogen use. This year a near 10% saving was achieved, with enough nitrogen left to cover the first application in spring 2023;
  • Weekly grass measuring and the use of Pasturebase is resulting in over 15t/ha grass dry matter being grown annually;
  • An annual herd health plan drawn up with the farm vet as well as Sensehub health and heath detection collars plus regular locomotion scoring is leading to healthy productive herd;
  • Herd EBI is €197 with the 2021 and 2022 females at an average of €234 and €257 respectively. Ewe replacement index is at €4.34;
  • Milk solids (ms) are increasing annually as the herd matures, delivering 449kg ms/cow in 2021. With a mature 475kg ms/cow or more can be achieved;
  • All heifers calve at an average of 24 months and all replacements in the ewe flock lamb as ewe lambs at 12 months of age;
  • Earlier finishing of beef cattle by selecting bulls based on the DBI (Dairy Beef Index) and using all AI;
  • The percentage of clover in grassland is being increased through a combination of reseeding and oversowing clover into existing swards.

Ag Mech

The mechanisation courses on offer are recognised widely within the industry as the most practical hands on courses on offer.

The course content, experienced staff, student projects and placement with some of the best hosts in the industry makes the courses in Pallaskenry unique. If you want a career in the mechanisation industry, then be sure to come to our open day.

The college will host an open day on Saturday, November 5, at the Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick.

The open day will run from 10:00a.m to 2:00p.m with tours of the campus taking place throughout the day.

PALLASKENRY SALESIAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE