Teagasc has released a booklet detailing the progress and developments in its Heavy Soils Programme over the last 10 years.
The programme was set up in 2011 to develop a network of dairy farms on poorly drained soils to act as a “test bed” for strategies and management practices.
The aim was to improve the efficiency and performance of farms dominated by such soils, which account for 30% of grasslands nationally.
The booklet is titled ‘Lessons Learned – Key Findings of the Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme’. It was released today (Thursday, May 6).
The key focus areas of the programme to date have been land drainage design; soil characterisation and land management; soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency; grassland management; and farm infrastructure.
Since the beginning of the programme, herd size on the participating farms has increased by approximately 32% from the 2011 level, with a corresponding increase in milking platform stocking rate from 2.12 to 2.82 cows/ha.
Herd EBI has increased from €84 in 2011 to €139 in 2020.
The average output in terms of milk solids per hectare has increased from 850kg/ha in 2011 to 1,405kg/ha in 2020, an increase of 65%. Average gross output in value terms ranged from €2,935/ha in 2016 – when milk price was at its lowest – to €4,530/ha in 2018.
Grass production is measured by regular farm walks and recorded and managed using Teagasc Pasturebase. Annual grass production has shown a steady increase over the period of the programme, Teagasc says.
An on-going review of poorly performing paddocks allows for investment to be planned with regards to land drainage works; soil fertility improvements; reseeding; and grazing infrastructure.
“The commitment of the farmers has facilitated detailed analysis of the farm systems over time and the development of solutions to common restrictions to efficiency and productivity on poorly drained soils.”
Commenting on the contributions of the 10 farmers involved in the programme, its manager, Patrick Tuohy, said: “The openness of each farmer has been crucial to the sharing of information with other farmers, visitors and the wider public.
The booklet can be found here.