Spotlight on nitrogen for dairy farmers

Using less artificial nitrogen and making better use of new nitrogen products that limit any potential damage to the environment were central themes for the grassland research papers presented at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference.

The conference, which took place in Kerry on Tuesday, and runs until Thursday in Mullingar, discussed challenges around establishing clover to replace any potential reduction in bag nitrogen.

Outlining the Teagasc roadmap for sustainable intensification of dairying in his opening address Teagasc’s Padraig French said: “Research performance targets will target 100% of nitrogen as protected urea, a nitrogen efficiency of 37% up from 25% currently, with approximately 150kg of nitrogen spread per hectare, down from 250kg/ha currently.”

If all CAN fertiliser is switched into protected urea, it will lead to a 30% reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions

The balance of nitrogen required to continue stocking farms at 2.8 cows/ha with low levels of meal feeding will come from having 25% white clover in swards.

Teagasc’s Brian McCarthy and William Burchill shared research results which showed plot and grazing trials on work already completed using protected urea and mixed ryegrass clover swards.

Using protected urea shows a 78% reduction in ammonia emissions, and a 71% reduction in greenhouse gas emmissions.

Burchill said: “If all CAN fertiliser is switched into protected urea, it will lead to a 30% reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions which is the equivalent of emissions from 100,000 cows, approximately the number of cows in Kerry.”

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