Tips to reduce Gaseous Emissions on your Dairy Farm
Use protected urea
Apply protected urea instead of CAN/straight urea
Apply lime
Identify fields low in pH using soil analysis
Build or maintain soil fertility
Continue to use P & K fertilisers such as 18:6:12
Use 100% LESS
Apply slurry in spring / early summer using Low Emission Slurry Spreading Technology (LESS)
Reduce chemical N by 10kg/ha
Apply lime, incorporate clover and make best use of slurry / FYM
Better grassland management
Weekly farm walk, measure grass and extend grazing season
Improve animal health
Create a herd health plan
Improve dairy herd quality
Use high EBI bulls and increase herd EBI by > €10/year
Use sexed semen to accelerate genetic gain
Increase milk solids/cow
Milk record, cull poor cows and aim for 305-day lactation
Reduce age at first calving
Calf heifers at 22 to 26 months and aim for 20% replacement rate
Finish cattle earlier
Use Dairy Beef Index (DBI) to produce earlier finishing cattle
Incorporate clover
Incorporating 5 kg/ha (2 kg/ac) will replace up to 100 kg/ha (80 units/ac) of chemical N/year
(Source: Teagasc)
