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Cutting the amount of fertiliser used on Irish dairy farms could cut farm profitability by up to 10%, according to new figures from Teagasc.
The effects of cutting fertiliser use on a farm spreading 250kg N/ha (100kg N/acre) by 10% and 20% were modelled as part of a report on the efficient use of nitrogen.
On a 40ha farm with 110 cows stocked at 2.63 cows/ha, cutting fertiliser use by 10% from 250 kg N/ha to 225kg N/ha reduced farm profitability by €87/ha, with total net margin falling by €3,647.
Reducing fertiliser use by 20% to 200kg N/ha reduced the farm’s net margin by €160/ha and €6,400 overall.
If the farm kept cow numbers stable and used purchased feed to make up the grass deficit, profitability would be reduced by €4,622 (5%) and €8,951 (10%), for a 10% and 20% fertiliser use reduction respectively.
Farm to Fork strategy
Dr Laurence Shalloo from Moorepark told a Teagasc conference on Tuesday that the work had been carried out at the request of the Department of Agriculture.
Over the last nine years, expansion has seen the average dairy farm stocking rate increase by 13% from 1.8 cows/ha to 2.03 cows/ha. The volume of fertiliser spread per hectare has increased by 15%, rising from 161kg/ha to 185 kg/ha.
The EU's Farm to Fork strategy has set a target to reduce fertiliser use by at least 20% by 2030.
Teagasc highlighted that there were ways to elevate the negative economic impacts of reduced fertiliser use, such as incorporating white clover into existing pastures, increased soil fertility, low emission slurry spreading and greater use of precision grazing management.
Implications
However, it was also stressed that a significant knowledge transfer programme over a number of years would be required to see adoption at farm level.
A move to reduce fertiliser use without offsetting the resulting loss in grass production ran the risk of increasing the importation of feed on to farms, Teagasc warned. This in turn would lead to a reduction in profitability and a deterioration of environmental sustainability.
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