Maintaining excellent cow hygiene and comfort is essential during the winter housing period. As cows rest, their body heat transfers to the cubicle surface, where bacteria can thrive and multiply. Dairy cows are particularly vulnerable to infection during this period, as their teat canals remain open for a few hours each day, unlike those of [...]
Mikey Butler is among an increasingly rare breed of full-time farmers now operating at the highest level of inter-county hurling. The 2022 Young Hurler of the Year, who was also named as right corner-back in the PWC GAA/GPA All Star selection in his debut senior campaign, works on Brian Houlihan’s farm on Bleach Road, Dunmore, [...]
With the new National Liming Programme subsidy announced, and the closing date of April 20th just around the corner, lets look at the details involved. Q- What is the National Liming Programme? The €16/t subsidy is a very welcome incentive which will provide great opportunities for farms that are currently below optimum soil fertility [...]
With increased fertiliser prices set to remain for the coming season, it is critical that the correct steps are taken this autumn to maintain soil fertility. September is the ideal month to start planning lime and fertiliser applications to maximise the potential of the soils on your farm. In this article, we outline the key [...]
Liming Irish soils is very beneficial as our soils tend to be naturally acidic. When soils are acidic, they don’t function properly and will respond below optimum to the fertilisers applied. In a year of high input costs, soil acidity correction and agri lime application will be key to achieving a maximum response from fertiliser [...]
As the rainfall increases, temperatures decrease, and grass growth slows, cows will be soon heading indoors. Keeping cows’ udders clean is of vital importance to reducing the risk of infection, so it is critical to have your cubicles winter ready and disinfected. Implications of unhygienic cubicles Scraping and liming cubicles daily can reduce the [...]
Correcting soil pH is the first step to improving soil productivity and exploiting our competitive advantage of maximising the level of grazed grass in animal diets. Trials have shown that by increasing soil pH from 5.5 to 6.3, increased grass production of at least 1.5t DM/ha/year can be achieved, which represents a 7:1 return on [...]
Lime is a critical element of Irish agriculture, as a sustainable means of nourishing soil and improving the productivity of crops and grassland. There has been a consistent increase in the volume of Agri Lime being applied on Irish soils over the last number of years, which is partly due to the latest Nitrates Directive, [...]
When is the right time to apply lime, what type of ground limestone should I use and what is best practice when it comes to grazing, reseeding, slurry and Urea application? We’ll answer those and other lime application questions below. The benefits of getting your soil pH right through an effective liming programme [...]
We regularly receive queries from customers regarding best practices for lime application. To assist with this, we have put together a list of our most frequently asked questions and answers. Check them out below! How do I use cubicle lime? The self-weight of lime causes it to compact over time. This product should be [...]