A survey analysis of grassland dairy farming in Ireland, investigating grassland management, technology adoption and sward renewal

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify and understand grassland management practices employed on dairy farms in the Republic of Ireland, including grazing-season length, concentrate-feed input, uptake of new grassland-management technologies and frequency and methods of sward renewal. The sample population for the survey was chosen from a proportionate representation of all milk suppliers taken from three of the largest dairy processors in the Republic of Ireland. The sample was subsequently broken down into three stocking rate (SR) and three size categories of milk quota (Qcat) to investigate their effects on the survey variables. Both SR and Qcat had significant effects on the proportion of participants adopting grassbased technologies and on the amount of supplementary feed offered. Grazing-season length increased from 228 d in Qcat1 to 249 d in Qcat 3 but was unaffected by SR (241 d; s.d. 3AE05). The proportion of the grazing area reseeded annually was significantly affected by SR, increasing from 0AE044 to 0AE095 of the grassland area as SR increased from SR1 to SR3, with no effect of Qcat (0AE068). The results show that on-farm grass utilization is low, with significant potential for expansion and increased efficiency through increased SRs, greater adoption of grassland-management technologies and higher levels of sward renewal.

Cluster analysis of fasciolosis in dairy cow herds in Munster province of Ireland and detection of major climatic and environmental predictors of the exposure risk

“…The high prevalence observed in Irish dairy herds can be attributed to the combination of high level of grass-based diet and temperate climate during grazing period that can increase the exposure to parasites (O'Farrell et al, 1986). Indeed, the main features of Irish dairy farming are the temperate climate supporting a low-input, pasture-based production system, a high proportion of spring-calving cows and a long grazing season that allows dairy cattle to graze outdoors from early spring to late autumn (Creighton et al, 2011;Läpple et al, 2012). The cluster analysis identified 16 statistically significant high-risk clusters mostly located in northern and western regions of Munster and 24 statistically significant low-risk clusters, mainly in the southern and eastern regions (Fig.…”

Restricting dairy cow access time to pasture in early lactation: the effects on milk production, grazing behaviour and dry matter intake

“…Although the length of the target grazing season in Ireland is 300 days , Irish dairy farmers are currently achieving approximately 240 days at grass (Creighton et al, 2011). Dillon et al (2005) clearly showed that a 0.10 increase in grazed grass in the diet will significantly reduce the costs of production associated with the dairy enterprise, thereby enhancing overall profitability.…”

“…Soil conditions and inclement weather are two of the biggest limitations affecting the extension of the grazing season on Irish dairy farms (Creighton et al, 2011). Over 50% of soils in the Republic of Ireland are classified as Podzols, Gleysols or Histosols (Gardiner and Radford, 1980).…”

Impacts of Sward Renewal Method with Perennial Ryegrass (<i>Lolium perenne</i>) on Dry Matter Yield, Tiller Density and Nitrate Leaching

“…Perennial ryegrass dominates in swards of temperate climates as it establishes rapidly from seed; it has a strong tillering ability allowing it to produce a dense sward; it is highly acceptable to stock, capable of withstanding intensive grazing, and responds well to fertile conditions and inputs of nitrogen (N). A grassland survey by Creighton et al, [4] highlighted the low level of grassland reseeding in Ireland. Twenty-three percent of dairy farmers had not reseeded any grassland in the previous three years, with an average of just 6.8% of the land area on specialist dairy farms being reseeded annually.…”

“…Assuming that all environmental and management factors under the farmers control are at their optimum, the botanical composition of the sward can become a limiting factor to production [5]. As there is a high cost associated with the sward renewal process, considerable benefit must be gained to make it a viable undertaking [4] [6]. There are few published data directly comparing existing old permanent pasture to reseeded swards under a grazing system.…”