Soil in parts of the south and west has received over 50mm less rain than they normally would in July.

While summer months usually see a moderate soil moisture deficit of 20mm to 40mm, currently deficits are far greater.

This has seen grass growth plummet and figures from PastureBase show growth has declined to 25kg DM/ha/day on average. In parts, grass growth is non-existent Farmers across the country have been battling against tight feed supplies and have struggled to conserve winter forage.

Estimates from Met Éireann show that the southeast, which has a far higher percentage of free draining soils, has a moisture deficit nearly three times greater than normal. Meanwhile, in the northwest some soils have almost recovered to normal levels.

Recovery

Recovery of soils to levels where they can support normal grass growth will depend heavily on how any coming rain falls, according to Keith Lambkin of Met Éireann’s Agricultural Meteorology Unit.

Speaking to the Irish Famers Journal he said: “Say for example 50mm falls in one rainfall event.

“The hard soils would not be able to absorb all of this in one go and we would expect surface run-off in many areas.”

He explained if warm temperatures continue and 50mm of rain was to fall in light showers over a number of consecutive days that much of the moisture would evaporate from the surface and be lost to the soil.

“Starved vegetation would also absorb much of the rain and return it to the atmosphere via transpiration.

“Soils stand the best chance of returning to normal conditions through frequent medium rainfall amounts, over a continuous period of time with little drying in between, ideally with temperatures lower than we have felt this July.”

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