The Dairy Edge

Latest Episodes:

The role and importance of multi-species swards (MSS) Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Brendan Horan, Farm Systems researcher at Teagasc Moorepark, is on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss multi-species swards (MSS) and the reason he and his team are researching them in the multi-milk systems trials at Curtin’s Farm.

Brendan starts by telling us the policy context for looking at MSS stemming from the Farm to Fork strategy that is looking for reductions in the amount of inputs going into farming systems, to minimise environmental impacts of farming, increase resource use efficiency and increase biodiversity.

Following on from the policy piece and the requirement to reduce the nitrogen footprint of the farming system, the third piece of the jigsaw is climate change and how are we going to deal with potentially drier summers and wetter winters.

In that context, multi-species have the potential to reduce the nitrogen requirement as well as offering increased sward diversity that might have the potential to allow us to adapt to changing weather patterns.

Brendan went on to say that on the multi-milk trial, multi-species swards are growing similar quantities of forage, showing increases in milk solids output during the mid-season, but very importantly, have the potential to reduce nitrate leaching by 5-10% compared to standard perennial ryegrass swards that are commonplace currently.

Finally, Brendan encourages farmers to try some on their farms as farmers will need to learn how to farm these swards and the best way to do this is to try it.

Furthermore, assuming that good perennial ryegrass and clover varieties are used, these swards, while potentially not persisting as multi-species swards, will continue to persist as high quality grass clover swards in the medium to longer term on farms.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Let's Talk Dairy: Advisor's update from the grass roots Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Lorcan Dooley, Teagasc Dairy Advisor, based in Portlaoise, Co. Laois to discuss where the focus should be on dairy farms for June.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

Let's Talk Dairy: Dairy Market Outlook for the second half of 2023 Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by is joined by Liam McCabe, Dairy Sector Manager, Bord Bia to give an insight into the dairy market outlook for the second half of 2023.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

Let's Talk Dairy: Tipperary Calf to Beef Demo Farm May 26, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Chloe Millar, Teagasc, to give an insight into the Tipperary Calf to Beef Demo Farm.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

How to stay in control of somatic cell count (SCC) during the mid-lactation period May 22, 2023

Show notes

Don Crowley, Milk Quality Specialist at Teagasc is on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss how to stay in control of somatic cell count (SCC) during the mid-lactation period.

Don first explains how the high milk price in 2022 was a disincentive to people to be ruthless with regard to SCC as there was no real financial ramifications for supplying high SCC milk as the penalty was small relative to the high milk value.

Consequently, Don has seen more issues with SCC this year as people pay for their sins of the past with high SCC cows having infected other cows in herds and now they are struggling to deal with the issue.

Don advises people to ‘know your enemy’, so following milk recording, identify high SCC cows, use the CMT test to identify the offending quarter or quarters and sample these to identify the strain of bacteria that you are up against. Knowing this will help you decide on the best course of action to take with the culprits.

In some cases, where appropriate and using the correct product, young cows may be treated with some positive consequences, however, older cows will have a lower success rate at less than 50%.

Drying off quarters may also work in some situations and Don describes how to do this but in some cases, the only solution is to actually cull the cow as they have a chronic infection and cannot be cured.

Don recommends that people don’t put cows identified as chronic in calf to avoid the temptation to keep them if in calf at the end of the season.

Finally, Don says that in lower milk price years, SCC management is important to avoid having to dry cows due to SCC issues in late lactation when milk value is at its highest and that staying on top of it now is the best defence.

Culling a few cows might be a tough decision for many but the headaches that high SCC cause are not worth it so people need to stop the spread now by whatever means works best on their farm and ensure that chronically infected cows, if not culled right now, definitely leave the farm at the end of the year.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Let's Talk Dairy: Best Practice in Milking Routine May 19, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Padraig O'Connor, Teagasc to discuss best practice in milking routine.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

Let's Talk Dairy: Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme - Achieving Grazing Success May 12, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Pat Tuohy, Teagasc, to give an insight into the Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme - Achieving Grazing Success.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

How to minimise nitrate loss in farming to help improve water quality May 09, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge, Eddie Burgess, Specialist in the Agricultural Catchments Programme, talks about minimising nitrate loss in farming to help improve water quality.

Eddie first explains the Agricultural Catchments programme and what it does, contributing to the body of evidence required to support changes to nitrate regulations within Ireland

Eddie says that there will always be nitrate loss occurring regardless of the land use but that it is important to minimise the amount of it in order to attain the standards required.

He also explains the rationale for the closed period and says that half of the nitrate loss in catchments occurs during the closed period which is generally only approximately a quarter of the year. Given this, it is important that levels of surplus nitrogen, that is nitrogen in excess of crop requirement, are kept to an absolute minimum at this time of year to keep the losses as low as possible.

To this year, slurry storage is important and the ability to store organic manures for periods greater than the closed periods is an important factor in reducing nitrate loss to water.

Eddie encourages farmers to assess their situations and make adjustments - be that extra storage or planning to use their organic nitrogen better throughout the growing season to minimise the quantities being spread late in the year when water tables will inevitably rise thus carrying surplus nitrogen to below the rooting zone.

However, Eddie points out that there has been a consistent reduction in the losses in the Timoleague catchment over the last four years which certainly has in some part come about due to practice changes and Eddie says that if farmers continue to be prudent with their use of all nutrient sources on their farms, then water quality can continue to move in the right direction without having to reduce stocking rate.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Let’s Talk Dairy: Aurivo Programme update - a farmer's perspective May 05, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Donal Ronayne, dairy farmer from Co. Mayo with an Aurivo Programme update - a farmer's perspective.

Donal is a participant of the Teagasc/ Aurivo Joint Programme and gives an update on how the Spring went on his farm as well as an insight into his farm and farming system.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

Let's Talk Dairy: Advisor's update from the grass roots Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Seamus Nolan, Teagasc Advisor based in the Roscommon/Longford Advisory Region, to give an update from the grass roots.

To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to:

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/