Despite news that Ireland’s nitrates derogation is being cut from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha, Diarmaid Fitzgerald was still upbeat about the future of dairy farming west of the Shannon.
His farming plans will change as a result of the decision.
With 66ha (163 acres) in one block, he had aspirations of growing his 145 cow herd to 180 or 190 cows over the coming years.
This was part of his plan to improve work-life balance, as a full-time employee could be justified at that number of cows.
Roadways have recently been resurfaced on the Fitzgerald farm.
The revised plan is to get the calves contract reared (heifers have been contract reared the last two years) and take on more land and grow to 170 cows, which will be a stocking rate of 2.6 cows/ha on the milking block.
Diarmaid reckons he will need to lease an additional 8ha (20 acres) of land in order to be compliant. He plans to grow red clover silage on this land and take three or four cuts of silage off it.
When this land is included, the overall stocking rate will be 2.4 cows/ha and the farm's organic nitrogen figure will be less than 220kg/ha.
Growing clover is something Diarmaid is an expert in, with 66% of the farm with great clover contents.
He has fast-tracked his route to this point by reseeding 17% to 20% of the farm per year for the last couple of years.
Diarmaid Fitzgerald from Cratloe, Co Clare, won the Grassland Farmer of the Year award for 2022.
Oversowing has also been used and has been successful, both with the Guttler machine and with oversowing using the fertiliser spreader. Both ways have worked and both ways have failed.
“I hope to have clover established across 100% of the farm by the end of 2025 and to be spreading 100kg N/ha by then and to be still growing 13t to 14t DM/ha and feeding around 500kg of meal per cow,” he says.
Soil fertility is key to the success of clover and 98% of the Fitzgerald farm is on target for pH, 74% is on target for phosphorus and 78% is on target for potash.
Speaking at the walk, John O’Loughlin from Grassland Agro said that good soil fertility is essential in order for clover to thrive.
Grab a copy of the Irish Farmers Journal print edition next week for more.
Despite news that Ireland’s nitrates derogation is being cut from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha, Diarmaid Fitzgerald was still upbeat about the future of dairy farming west of the Shannon.
His farming plans will change as a result of the decision.
With 66ha (163 acres) in one block, he had aspirations of growing his 145 cow herd to 180 or 190 cows over the coming years.
This was part of his plan to improve work-life balance, as a full-time employee could be justified at that number of cows.
Roadways have recently been resurfaced on the Fitzgerald farm.
The revised plan is to get the calves contract reared (heifers have been contract reared the last two years) and take on more land and grow to 170 cows, which will be a stocking rate of 2.6 cows/ha on the milking block.
Diarmaid reckons he will need to lease an additional 8ha (20 acres) of land in order to be compliant. He plans to grow red clover silage on this land and take three or four cuts of silage off it.
When this land is included, the overall stocking rate will be 2.4 cows/ha and the farm's organic nitrogen figure will be less than 220kg/ha.
Growing clover is something Diarmaid is an expert in, with 66% of the farm with great clover contents.
He has fast-tracked his route to this point by reseeding 17% to 20% of the farm per year for the last couple of years.
Diarmaid Fitzgerald from Cratloe, Co Clare, won the Grassland Farmer of the Year award for 2022.
Oversowing has also been used and has been successful, both with the Guttler machine and with oversowing using the fertiliser spreader. Both ways have worked and both ways have failed.
“I hope to have clover established across 100% of the farm by the end of 2025 and to be spreading 100kg N/ha by then and to be still growing 13t to 14t DM/ha and feeding around 500kg of meal per cow,” he says.
Soil fertility is key to the success of clover and 98% of the Fitzgerald farm is on target for pH, 74% is on target for phosphorus and 78% is on target for potash.
Speaking at the walk, John O’Loughlin from Grassland Agro said that good soil fertility is essential in order for clover to thrive.
Grab a copy of the Irish Farmers Journal print edition next week for more.
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