AgriSearch will host a webinar on Wednesday, March 5 at 8:00p.m to discuss the interim results of on-farm research into red clover silage swards.
The webinar will look at best practices, trial results and farmer experiences of red clover.
The ZeroNsile project was established by AgriSearch in 2023 to examine the feasibility and practicalities of producing silage without the use of manufactured nitrogen (N) fertiliser, focusing primarily on red clover swards.
The project was developed in the context of the increasing cost of fertiliser and a need to the reduce the carbon footprint on farms at the forefront.
There is also a smaller element to the project which involves trialling the legume lucerne for silage on three farms from the drier parts of Co. Down.
AgriSearch has previously led a number of multi-species sward projects which mainly focused on grazing systems for beef and sheep farms. The dairy sector in comparison is heavily reliant on good quality silage.
12 farmers from the Beacon Farm Network and GrassCheck programmes were selected from across Northern Ireland to establish red clover swards on their farms, with six of these being dairy farms and six being beef and/or sheep farms.
Two farmers from the ZeroNsile project, Andrew Crawford and Frank McDonnell, will discuss their experiences of establishing red clover silage swards on their farms as part of the ZeroNsile Project.
Dr. David Patterson, grassland agronomist from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) will outline the interim results from the project, along with key steps needed to successfully establish red clover swards, including soil fertility, nutrient management, seed selection and reseeding methods.
Robert Patterson from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will talk about the steps that have been taken at CAFRE’s Greenmount Farm to incorporate clover in grazing and silage swards.
