Farmers at Moorepark 2023 next week will be able to see the latest technology for farming, including drones, soil sensors and smartphone apps for keeping track of cows.

The Moorepark open day on 4 July is an opportunity for visitors to experience first-hand the technologies and practices that are helping farmers secure a sustainable future for the Irish dairy industry.

The dairy open day in Cork will showcase research from organisations under the Teagasc umbrella. Among them demonstrating their work will be researchers from the VistaMilk SFI research centre.

Event demonstrations

This will include demonstrations of the use of DNA to identify soil microbes, and the use of drones with grass-imaging technologies to assist farmers in selecting the ideal grazing sites.

There will also be hands-on demonstrations of sensor technology, including how to use sensors to monitor the nitrate content of soil, the moisture and composition of grass, animal glucose levels, and milk heat stability.

Farmers will learn how to use their smartphones to monitor the time their cows spend grazing and resting.

VistaMilk director, Donagh Berry, said: “Moorepark open day is a fun and engaging way for dairy farmers, other agri-food sector workers and the general public to experience first-hand the technologies and practices that are being developed to underpin the economic, environmental and social sustainability credentials of Irish dairy farms.”

“VistaMilk is uniquely placed to provide insight and expertise on how science is helping to address the most important challenges facing the dairy industry in Ireland, such as increasing biodiversity, reducing emissions and carbon sequestration,” Berry explained.

Knowledge and findings

Teams from the VistaMilk organisation will share their knowledge in the four core research and impact areas where they identify issues and provide solutions for the dairy industry: soil, pasture, cattle and food.

Researchers from VistaMilk will discuss their findings on the advantages of multi-species swards over perennial ryegrass, and the advantages of adding clover to pasture to reduce nitrogen.

Other researchers will be in the Grassland village at the open day to answer questions from visitors.

Animal welfare

Senior researcher Emer Kennedy will discuss findings on the effects of giving calves milk with antibiotic residues, as well as recommendations for evaluating cow and calf welfare on farms, including behaviour monitoring prior to weaning.

A VistaMilk PhD student will speak about breeding programmes that are producing cattle which use nitrogen more effectively, as well as how GreenFeed machines are being used to precisely measure methane emissions from the national herd and how to use that information to identify genetically lower-emitting animals.

Milk expert

The resident milk expert will be John Tobin, head of food chemistry and technology, who will discuss the impact of cow genetics on modifying milk proteins, as well as the implications of seasonality on the production of milk and dairy products.

For younger visitors, there will be a variety of entertaining and instructive activities available, such as the chance to make your own cream, a demonstration of how milk is digested in our stomachs and a competition for primary school students to colour posters.