Determining what is the sustainable stocking rate for your farm is still the focus for dairy farmers impacted by the nitrates derogation.
That’s according to head of Knowledge Transfer with Teagasc, Dr. Joe Patton, who was speaking on the Agriland livestream from Ploughing 2023 at Ratheniska, Co. Laois.
The reduction in the maximum limit of organic nitrogen (N) for Irish grassland farms remains a hot topic at the National Ploughing Championships.
The recent confirmation that the maximum organic N/ha stocking rate on a large portion of farms will drop from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha from January.
This is likely to have a significant impact on a large number of dairy farms across the country, but the advice from Teagasc remains to stock the farm to match grass growth potential for the farm.
Sustainable stocking rate
Dr. Patton said it is still the same challenge that has been faced by farmers for the last number of years.
According to Patton dairy farmers have become used to dealing with the idea of a cap on organic N limits.
He said the challenge now is that there is a movement in one figure within this, and dairy farmers will have to adjust some of their practices.
There is “no one-size-fits-all’ answer for dairy farms and each dairy farmer will need work out their own individual situation, according to the Teagasc representative.
He said that the advice remains the same: Stock your farm to match grass growth potential.
Although the metrics around this stocking rate have changed, he said the focus should still be on stocking the farm to match grass growth.
He argued that this has been the advice from Teagasc for the last 20 years and although many herds increased herd size post-quotas, he said it was on the back of a sustainable stocking rate for the farm.
Marginal cows
For farms that find themselves in the higher limits of the current maximum derogation of 250kg of N/ha – there are a number of areas to focus on, according to Patton.
The first thing, he said, is to look at marginal cows or cows which increase costs on farm just by their very presence.
On a farm where forage has to be purchased each year, reducing some cow numbers could reduce the need for purchased forage and help with the organic stocking rates on some farms.
But he also noted that practices around slurry storage, slurry management and chemical fertiliser management will have an impact on water quality.
Patton also stated the reduction in the maximum stocking rate will likely not have a direct impact on water quality, but nutrient management on farms will.