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Teagasc Heavy Soils ProgrammeReview 2012
Ger Courtney, John Maher,
James O’Loughlin, Pat Tuohy
Teagasc
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation
Presentation
• Farm growth rates
• Physical and Financial Performance2012
• Grass grown and utilised on theHeavy soils farms
• What is needed to grow and utilisemore home grown forage?
• Messages
Grass Dry Matter Grown-Kerry Grass Measurement Group (t/ha) 2008 -2012
2008 - 2011 Average2012
Total DM/ha 11.3 9.2
Spring DM/ha 1.7 1.5
Summer DM/ha 7.3 6.2
Autumn DM/ha 2.4 1.6
Grass growth in 2012 19% lower than 4 year average
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Rain
fall
mm
Rainfall in CastleislandSummer (May-August)
Rainfall in Summer 2012: 41% above average(+150 mm)
Heavy Soils Farm LocationsHeavy Soils Farm Locations
Doonbeg
BoherbueMacroom
Listowel
Athea
CastleislandSolohead Farm
Heavy Soils Programme
Rossmore
Heavy Soils Programme Farms Profile 2012
•Average milking block area 41 Ha•Average cow numbers milked 2012 -87•Milking block stocking rate 2012 - 2.1 Lu/Ha•Average milk production 2012 -5010 litres/cow
2012 2011 2010
Milk Production/Farm- Litres
435,930 458,945 437,711
2012 change v2011
%
-5% - -
372 kgs MS/Cow v 402 Kgs/cow in 2011
Herd Breeding 2012
EBI € Fertilitysub index
Milk subindex
6 weekcalvingrate %
BreedingHeifers2012
%
Average 116 75 33 70 27
Improved herd breeding is deliveringadditional revenue on the heavy farms
Pattern of Concentrate Feeding 2012
115
241
424
242
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Conc/cow kgs
Heavy Soils FarmsSilage Fed Mid - April – Sept 2012
Farms Silage fed April –Sept
Tonnes/cow
Silage reserve May1 2012
Tonnes/cow
2 x Farms Highestrainfall. No reserve
3.35 0
2 x Farms –good silagereserve
2.5 3.2
2 x farms-less silagefed & v good reserves
1.5 4.1
Average 6 farms 2.5 2.2
Impact on Silage Stocks
• Normal silage requirement is 1.6 tonnes/cow/month
• Over 3 tonnes of silage per cow was fed up to October 31st
• 15% deficit in winter feed
• + 1.5kgs meals/animal ?…poorer silage quality
• Spring 2012 did allow minimal use of silage for milkingcows because of good grazing conditions and reasonablewinter growth
• A major challenge for heavy farms in 2013 will be to secureover 10 tonnes silage per cow + repl winter feed .
• Plan for at least 30% of silage stocks over 70 DMD.
**Costs/litre 2012**Costs/litre 2012
2011 2012 Diff.
*Varia. costs c/l
incl Concentrate
11.7
3
14.5
5.6
2.8
2.6
Fixed costs c/l 8.9 9.5 0.6
Total F+V c/l 20.6 24 3.4
**ePM 2012projected
*Excludes carryover feed costs of 4 c/litre into 2013
Dairy Income c/litre 2012Dairy Income c/litre 2012
2011 2012 % Diff.
Gross Output 35.8 32.1 -10%
Dairy Income 15.2 8.1 -47%
ePM 2012projected
Cow feed requirement-5 tonnes dry matter less 0.7 tonnesconcentrate = 4.3 tonnes of grass DM.-75% Utilisation efficiency on heavy soils.-Need to grow 4.3 @ 75%= 5.7 t DM/cow grownBased on full grass and silage requirement
Example 100 Cows @ 5.7 t DM/Cow
-
Tonnesgrown /Ha
(DM)
*Hectaresrequired
StockingRateCows/Ha
10 57 1.75
*Cow area only
12 47 2.12
14 41 2.44
Ryegrass Ground Cover &Level of Reseeding
REGION%
RYEGRASS
Level ofReseedingAnnually
Castleisland 24 10%
Doonbeg 30 10%
Listowel 25 10%
West Limerick 26 7%
Macroom 25 10%
North Cork 24 9%
26%
Heavy Farms soil analysis 2010/11
• Lime: 85% less than a PH of 6
• Phosphorus: 50% less than Soil Index 3*
• Pottasium:47% less than Soil Index 3
*One farm that had all land at a P index of 3 or moregrew the most grass in 2012 @ 10 tonnes/Ha
LIME RESULT: Soil Analysis campaign 2011/12
33% were OK for lime (pH over 6.0)
33% needed 2 ton lime per acre this year
(pH 5.6 – 6.0)
33% needed 2-3 ton this year and again in 2 years(pH < 5.6)
Soil test and follow a Fertiliser/Limeplan for your farm
Messages from the Heavy soils programme
• The provision of a forage reserve of 3 bales/cowproved crucial to many farms in 2012
• A plan to provide a proportion of high qualitysilage must be put in place.
• Ryegrass cannot survive in a low soil fertilityenvironment
• Increased Stocking rate must be based on theability of the farm to grow more forage
Messages from the Heavy soils programme
• Invest in those areas that will give biggest returnin grass utilisation
• Additional farm infrastructure inroadways/tracks/water points/paddock layoutand good housing have helped to alleviatepressure in a difficult year.
• Drainage investment is very site specific andmust be carefully planned before reseeding.
• More Information on your farm business helpsmake better decisions