Northern Ireland dairy farmers have a distinct advantage over many of their counterparts in other parts of the world due to their ability to grow large quantities of high-quality grass. While many farms already utilise grass extensively for grazing and silage, it often remains under-exploited in respect to production and utilisation, with milk-from-forage levels declining on many farms in recent years.
Jonathan explained: “With Northern Ireland farmgate milk prices becoming increasingly exposed to steep downturns in global commodity markets, the sustainability of individual farm businesses depends on controlling production costs and maximising technical efficiency. As grazed grass remains the lowest cost feed available on livestock farms, it’s not surprising that many of the UK-DCN farms in Northern Ireland are open to exploring opportunities for improvement in this area.”
Improving the quality of home-grown forage has the potential to reduce reliance on purchased feed, which typically carries a higher carbon footprint. Higher quality forage improves animal productivity and efficiency, while lowering emissions intensity (GHG emitted per kg of product produced).
Jonathan and Stephen have found that the majority of farmers selecting this option are particularly interested in re-seeding with appropriate forage varieties. Maximising grassland output per hectare in Northern Irish conditions is largely dependent upon well managed perennial ryegrass swards. In contrast, ‘worn-out’ swards with poor ground cover and a high prevalence of weeds respond poorly to fertiliser, producing lower yields of inferior nutritional quality.
Advances in grass breeding research have introduced new varieties to the market that deliver significant improvements in yield and nutritional quality, which can enhance dairy farm profitability. Many new ryegrass swards also include high-sugar varieties, which can improve digestibility, increase protein utilisation and enhance nitrogen use efficiency.
Other areas for improvement under the Best Practice Forage and Grazing Management option include monitoring pasture growth, pre-cut and pre-graze testing and following best practice in silage production and grazing management. Ensuring farm infrastructure is set up to allow flexible access to grazing is critical to maximising grass utilisation in the cows’ diet.
Stephen said: “Expertise in grassland management varies considerably between farms in Northern Ireland. It’s really encouraging to see a growing interest in improvement, and the participating farms are already benefiting from the tailored advice and guidance provided through the UK-DCN project.”