Trevor Boland from Sligo won a lime and nutrient management plan worth €2,500 in the 2017 Smart Farming Competition.
At the time of winning he said “Lime is just what I need on my farm to sort out the low pH on some of my fields. It is a waste of time spreading fertilisers if the acidity of the soil is not sorted. The nutrient management plan will help me get better grassland management by better targeting the fertilisers. It’s a win-win for me, the farm and the environment.”
In a recent catch up with Trevor, he told Smart Farming, “The spring of 2018 will live long in the memory of grass farmers. Yes, I did say ‘grass farmers’, because that is essentially what we are. We grow as much grass as possible to feed our stock to generate beef, lamb or dairy products.
By spreading one to two tonnes of lime per acre over the entire farm last autumn, I ended up growing twice as much grass as I needed this May – as much as 90kg dry matter/ha per day. This allowed me to replace much depleted fodder reserves. It couldn’t have been done without the liming and nutrient management plan.”
I will now concentrate on continuing these good farming practices, which also have the benefit of decreasing the risk to water quality – fertilisers are more easily taken up and don’t run off. This is a success for both improving the environment and my farm business”.
Smart Farming talks climate
In late June Environment Minister Denis Naugten TD hosted a Regional Gathering on Climate Action in Athlone. This climate dialogue focused on solutions such as the role of farm-scale and micro-renewables. It also provided an opportunity for groups such as Teagasc, Smart Farming, Change X and Eco-Unesco to showcase their climate actions.
Participating in the first Regional Gathering on Climate Action in Athlone were Smart Farming’s Programme Manager Thomas Ryan and Programme Leader Thomas Cooney, Environment Minister Denis Naughten TD and Smart Farming participant Joe Deverell.
Smart Farming farmer Joe Deverell talks with students Emma and Tya from Ballybay Community College about his economic and climate savings at the Regional Gathering on Climate Action in Athlone
For more information on Smart Farming visit www.smartfarming.ie, email: [email protected] or call 01 426 0343
