The farm walk marks an important step for the UK-DCN in Northern Ireland, where AgriSearch leads a Farm Network of 20 commercial dairy farms. The programme is part of a wider UK initiative involving 56 farms, all focused on applying practical actions within their own systems to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
The event opened with Dr Elizabeth Magowan from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), who provided an overview of the programme and its objectives. She outlined how the UK-DCN, led by AFBI and funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is supported by a UK-wide consortium of leading research institutions, farmer unions and industry organisations.
The UK-DCN supports farmers in implementing targeted actions across key focus areas;breeding, nutrition, animal health and nutrient management. Approximately 120 targeted interventions are currently being implemented across the four Farm Networks.
John Morrow from AgriSearch provided background on the host farm and led a question and answer session with attendees. He outlined the farm’s approach to improving efficiency, with a strong focus on maximising the use of grazed grass and home-grown forage, including a strategy of reseeding approximately 5% of the farm annually with plans through the project to increase the proportion of the farm reseeded each year, alongside a greater focus on selecting the most appropriate seed mixtures for the system and soil type.
The host farm operates an autumn-calving system with a herd of 90 Holstein cows and demonstrates how grass-based production can deliver strong performance. Cows are grazed during the day throughout the grazing season. Genetic improvement is also a key focus on the farm, with the use of genomic information to support breeding decisions. Bulls are selected based on the Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) and EnviroCow index, helping to improve efficiency, longevity and overall environmental performance within the herd.
David Little from Germinal delivered a presentation on grassland management and its role in improving efficiency within dairy systems. He highlighted the importance of reseeding and selecting appropriate grass varieties to maximise yield and quality. High sugar grasses were identified as an effective option to improve nitrogen use efficiency within the animal, thereby reducing nitrogen losses to the environment while supporting animal performance.
Maintaining soil fertility was also emphasised, with regular soil testing, correct pH levels and maintaining optimum phosphorus and potassium levels essential to achieving maximum grass growth. Reseeding was identified as a high-return investment, offering improved productivity and profitability.
Hannah Martin from Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG) provided further insights into the role of genetics in delivering more efficient dairy systems. Her presentation focused on how genomic technologies can be used to predict animal performance and support more informed breeding decisions.
She highlighted the role of the EnviroCow index in selecting animals with improved environmental efficiency. Improving this index has been shown to support gains in efficiency, including lower methane emissions per unit of output, reduced feed requirement and improved lifetime production.
The event also outlined developments in genetic programmes that aim to support farmers in improving herd performance, efficiency and sustainability through increased use of genotyping.
A key message throughout the event was that there is no single solution to reducing emissions. Progress is achieved through a combination of improvements across the farm system, including better grassland management, improved genetics, enhanced animal health and more efficient nutrient use.
The UK-DCN supports farmers through tailored plans based on individual farm systems, local conditions and business objectives. This ensures that actions are practical, achievable and deliver measurable improvements.
Knowledge exchange remains central to the programme, with farm walks and industry events providing opportunities for farmers to see approaches in practice and learn from each other’s experience. This peer-to-peer approach plays an important role in building confidence and encouraging adoption across the sector.
The strong attendance at this first Northern Ireland farm walk highlights the level of engagement within the industry and the demand for practical guidance. It also reinforces the key message of the UK-DCN: improving efficiency is central to reducing emissions while maintaining farm profitability.
Further events will take place across Northern Ireland, ensuring that knowledge and practical insights are shared widely to support a more sustainable and resilient dairy sector.