Why soil balance and reseeding are becoming  bigger factors in maintaining dairy farm profitability

The herd is producing 2.1kg/ms but the fat percentage in the milk has dropped over the last two weeks to 4.2pc which is a bit low for us, perhaps indicating pre grazing covers are a little low.

The dry weather has really helped ground conditions and cleanouts have been exceptional which should ensure quality grass for the breeding season.

As I look around me locally, most farms have significant feed reserves left in their silage pits. This gives an opportunity to maintain a buffer going forward to next year and maybe save a little on fertiliser or, my own preference, to consider a bit more reseeding this year.

I believe getting the balance right in the soil followed by reseeding are two of the best ways to improve the profitability of our farms.

The best research highlights the absolute importance of getting the PH status of soil correct, followed closely by the P & K indices and ensuring the soil is well aerated. Once this is right the potential gains from new leys can be obtained.

Traditionally we looked for better quality pasture and increased tonnage per hectare.

Our expectations and requirements have changed over recent years and will no doubt continue to change.

Research has proven the benefits of clover in the sward with dairy cows producing higher milk protein percentage and higher milk solids per cow.

Nitrogen

We also know that the EU Farm to Fork strategy states that Nitrogen usage must be reduced by 20pc by 2030. This is to limit the losses of Ammonia and Nitrous oxide (Greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere and Nitrogen into the groundwater.

While there is a cost saving from reducing N applications by 20pc, it will be a challenge to maintain productivity per hectare. Clover is one of the best options available to us, with further options being explored such as multi-species sward which I expect will become popular once we learn how to manage them.

We have targeted four fields for reseeding this year and will start this week. On our conventional reseeds we will be sowing 1kg of clover in each of the mixes, but an area of real concern is the removal of clover-safe sprays from the market.

We are told the spray might be available for a limited time this year only, but if that happens there will be a scramble and nowhere near enough will be manufactured.

We also need to be clear that while the N must be reduced by 20pc, pesticide usage must be reduced by a massive 50pc in the same timeframe as part of the measures to halt the unacceptable decline in biodiversity.

Breeding

Similar to last year we started breeding cows and heifers on May 1.

We are using 100pc AI on the cows for 10 weeks and one round of AI on the maidens followed by stock bulls.

The plan is to use dairy AI only on cows with an EBI over 140 during the first three weeks, but there will be a few exceptions to
this based on milk recording.

Sexed semen will be used on most of the first, second and third calvers as we believe they are our most fertile cows, and also have the highest EBI.

One fifth of the herd have an EBI below our 140 threshold, so they, along with the bottom 10pc based on milk recording, will get beef straws, AA & HE with only beef AI after the first three weeks.

Our herd has stopped growing so we are working towards a 20pc replacement rate and we expect all the above actions should drive the herd EBI — one of the cornerstones of our drive to reduce our carbon footprint on every litre of milk produced on this farm.

Henry and Patricia Walsh farm in Oranmore, Co Galway along with their son Enda and neighbour and outfarm owner John Moran