A group of 26 dairy farmers from Fermanagh and parts of Tyrone have been looking at farming in heavy soils in the west of Ireland.
They were undertoaking a study tour organised by local CAFRE Dairying Development Adviser, Alan Warnock to visit farms participating in the Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme.
Seven dairy farms in Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry are involved in the Programme and among the two farms visited were those belonging to Danny Bermingham at Doonbeg, West Clare and Michael and Donal Keane at Listowel, North Kerry.
Mr. James O’Loughlin from Moorepark Research Centre who is in charge of the Programme explained that its objective is to increase the profitability of dairying on marginal land. This is being achieved by increasing grass production and utilisation mainly through carrying out drainage and improving soil fertility.
James compared the average grass production (tonnes dry matter/hectare) on these seven monitor farms in 2011, 2012 and 2013 which was 10.6, 7.8 and 10.3 respectively. The reduced grass production in 2012 highlighted the huge effect the wet summer had on grass growth and emphasised the need to build up a reserve of silage in a good season.
James explained that after site investigation on each farm to identify the drainage problem a programme of drainage and reseeding commenced in 2013. This involved cleaning out open water courses and installing collector drains and mole drains. Although drainage is an expensive investment costing on average €6000/hectare it is estimated that provided a 20% increase in grass growth is achieved and milk price remains above €0.28/litre it is economically justified. Widespread soil fertility problems due to low pH and low soil phosphate and potash levels were identified and corrected through the application of lime and compound fertiliser. Reseeding was carried out using mainly late perennial ryegrass varieties with good sward density.
On the way to Co.Clare, the group visited the dairy farm of Michael and Mike Magan at Killashee, Co. Longford. They run a herd of 160 spring calving Friesian/Holstein cows and heifer replacements. The farm has a very high stocking rate of 2.55 Livestock Units/ hectare. Over 70% of the farm has been reseeded mainly with single grass varieties including Astonenergy, Kintyre, Navan and Bealey and exceptionally high yields of grass – 15 to 20 tonnes dry matter/ hectare are being produced.
The final visit of the study tour was to the farm of Henry and Patricia Walsh at Oranmore, Co.Galway. The Walshes currently run a 200-cow spring calving herd having built up numbers over the years through purchasing milk quota and leasing adjoining land blocks. A neighbouring beef farmer works with Henry on an almost full-time basis and contributes to the running of the farm and its future direction for growth. The replacement stock are reared off the home farm on a relative’s farm. The herd is mostly cross-bred with Holstein, Jersey and Norwegian Red and has an average milk yield of 5319 litres / cow at 4.45% butterfat and 3.70% protein. This was a dry flat farm well suited to low cost grass-based milk production with cows consistently being turned out to grass as they calved from the beginning of February.
Those on the trip said there was a great variety in the land quality of the four farms visited in this study tour. It was reassuring and educational to see milk production and land improvement on farms in Clare and Kerry with difficult soils similar to those in Fermanagh while the farms in Longford and Galway had free draining soils ideally suited to low cost milk production. All four farms had a high standard of grassland management. The group would like to acknowledge and thank the Vaughan Trust for its financial support of this worthwhile study tour.
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