There is lots of discussion at present surrounding the future for Irish grassland swards. This stems from two main areas.
First up are farmers who have been accepted into the Results-Based Environment-Agri Pilot (REAP) and are now assessing the suitability of low-input swards for inclusion.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, there are concerns regarding future nutrient use on swards managed intensively as per the current review of the nitrates action plan.
Eco schemes are likely to determine 25% of a farmer’s Basic Payment Scheme payment in the next CAP and a new major agri-environment scheme will be introduced in 2023.
These factors have led to more discussions over the last week as to whether or not these measures will become a more prominent feature used to secure payments in the future.
Low-input grasslands
Looking at REAP low-input grasslands (LIG) first, the typical reaction from many farmers and advisers is there is a relatively high bar set for these grasslands to achieve a high score based on the number of indicator species present, which has a direct influence on sward eligibility and payment rates.
The measures of low-input permanent pasture (LIPP) and traditional hay meadows (THM) were among the most prominent selected in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme (GLAS).
There is in the region of 280,000ha of grassland currently farmed to LIPP guidelines and approximately 70,000ha under THM requirements.
Under GLAS, THM need to have at least three grass species and less than 50% of the sward can be made up of ryegrass.
For LIPP pastures, the requirement is for swards to have at least four grass species, with the sward containing less than 30% ryegrass and also containing three non-grass species.
The maximum chemical nitrogen input was set at 40kg/ha or 32 units per acre and the payment rates were €314/ha to €315/ha.
The model of payment in REAP differs to previous agri-environmental schemes in that it is a results-based pilot. This means payment rates will vary depending on how successful a selected measure is and the score it receives.
There are some prescriptive requirements regarding eligibility and management, but, outside of this, there are best-practice recommendations aimed at enhancing the sward’s suitability and increasing the payment rate.
Eligibility requirements
The pilot project lists an area suitable for LIG as being an enclosed grassland field that receives low inputs of chemical and organic nitrogen fertiliser.
The sward must contain less than 30% ryegrass and the field cannot contain heather.
If it fails to meet either of these conditions, then it is deemed ineligible.
The chosen field should have a minimum of four grass species such as cocksfoot, timothy, bent grasses, fescues, sweet vernal, yorkshire, etc.
The requirement which seems to be catching out some swards which are farmed to an average level of intensity is that the field must contain a minimum of two non-grass indicator species. Table 1 details a listing of indicator species for LIG swards.
Applicants accepted into the programme will have received an information booklet to help in identifying these species, while advisers have also received the same information.
Swards that meet the minimum of two non-grass indicator species, but have a low level overall, can complete additional measures such as introducing field margins measuring 1m, 2m or 3m to improve the field score and receive a significant level of payment on that parcel.
If fields score poorly on indicator species there is still half the marks available for additional measures.
Table 2 details payment rates for LIG swards and multispecies leys (MSL).
The Department states that as REAP is a pilot project and not a full scheme, it has a narrower focus regarding objectives, with future schemes having a wider array of measures.
The scorecard has been developed to assess the sustainability of agricultural grassland sward, reward farmers for biodiversity and test the results-based structure.
Farmers and advisers will be expected to engage and share their experience of the pilot with the project team throughout the period, and this is an important aspect for reviewing the operation of the project.
The reports returning from advisers point to grassland swards which are managed moderately intensively with regular grazing, topping, etc, and receiving a reasonable level of chemical nitrogen or slurry not delivering the required number of positive indicators.
This view is backed up by the best-practice guidelines outlined by the Department of Agriculture in recent training with advisers as part of their approval to complete plans.
The advice in terms of artificial nitrogen usage is a negligible level of just 9kg/ha, while it is advised to avoid applying slurry on these parcels.
The reasoning behind this advice is that the positive indicator species are prevalent in swards which are managed extensively and where grass growth is enhanced, they will not be in a position to compete and persist in the sward.
The Department training outlined why this approach of promoting such as an extensive land use option is being taken, highlighting that 15 vascular plants or 1.2% of Ireland’s native plant species have become extinct in recent years, while 17% of plant species are now on a list ranging from threatened to critically endangered.
Results-based mechanism
The results-based model works on the premise of compensating participants for costs incurred or income forgone and it is expected that this mechanism will be used more in future schemes.
The presentation discussing the value of grasslands looked at this payment mechanism.
The financial reward of setting aside a portion of ground for this goal was compared with the returns received from farming the same area in a moderate or intensive manner.
While outlining at the outset that the calculations detailed in Table 3 were a crude measure, the Department said that the figures used still demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved in availing of environmental payments on land that they say would be better utilised for its high nature value rather than its production value for cattle and sheep enterprises.
Three field types were looked at – a very productive field farmed intensively; average quality land that is being looked after really well with good-quality livestock present but not over-stocked; and lastly very poor agricultural land.
The calculations looked at two main production costs – an annual charge for reseeding and fertiliser applied. Other costs, such as veterinary, contractor charges and miscellaneous expenses, were excluded.
Financial rewards
The BPS and ANC payment is taken without greening included and set as the same across the three systems.
The return on sales is taken at a low level of €400/ha for the productive land, half of this for the average-quality land managed productively and €50 for the poor agricultural land.
The environmental payments which can be obtained through REAP were highlighted as being the mechanism for the future of farming in Ireland with regards to environmental payments.
The advice outlined was that farmers with unproductive or poor-quality land would be better served by farming it to enhance its environmental credentials, as opposed to improving its production ability, and to value this land for the other services it can provide besides food and forage.
The Department presentation also outlined the importance of carrying out some level of agricultural activity on lands which are identified for their environmental benefits, with grazing delivering four benefits:
Maintenance or restoration of low nutrient status.Scrub management.Maintenance of structural variation.Increasing organic matter (diversity enhanced by the presence of dung).As touched on earlier, the appropriate maximum nutrient additions to prevent a loss of species richness or promote an increase in these species was outlined as a maximum of 12t/ha of farmyard manure or 9kg N, 23kg P and 83kg K per hectare.
This is said to be the nutrient load shown by scientific evidence not to have negative impacts on the biodiversity value of land.
If the current level of fertiliser applied is lower, then the advice is not to increase your present allocation.
Rotational mixed grazing was outlined as the best grazing technique for grassland swards to promote flora and fauna, livestock performance and soil health.
It is also encouraged not to graze these areas aggressively in spring, to rest swards during the main flowering season, which is typically May, June and July, and to graze in late summer, autumn or winter at an appropriate stocking rate and avoiding poaching.
Resting swards
Resting swards and allowing flowers to seed is seen as vital to replenish the seed bank and reduce nutrient load and competition from grass.
Regular topping is advised against, with the aim for a grassland sward with tufts and ungrazed areas.
Herbicides should also be used sparingly and only via targeted spot spraying of invasive species.
The MSL measure included in the pilot project is aimed at providing an environmentally beneficial measure for swards which are managed in an intensive manner.
It is viewed that these swards have the potential for relatively high output without the same
requirement for chemical
fertiliser.
Fields selected can be an existing multispecies ley or an enclosed ryegrass field which you wish to reseed. Permanent grassland swards cannot be tilled to incorporate a MSL.
The MSL should include a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs as detailed in Table 4. Legumes/herbs must be included in the seed mix, with scores influenced by the number of species present.
The crop must be established by 15 August and a 2m unsprayed/uncultivated zone must be kept between the field boundary and the edge of the reseed.
The greatest scope to increase the potential score is to fence off a 1m, 2m, 3m or 5m margin (takes in the 2m zone) all around the field or on a number of sides.
Marks are awarded for the condition of the crop and range of biodiversity present along with taking into account the width and quality of field margins and field boundaries.
There is lots of discussion at present surrounding the future for Irish grassland swards. This stems from two main areas.
First up are farmers who have been accepted into the Results-Based Environment-Agri Pilot (REAP) and are now assessing the suitability of low-input swards for inclusion.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, there are concerns regarding future nutrient use on swards managed intensively as per the current review of the nitrates action plan.
Eco schemes are likely to determine 25% of a farmer’s Basic Payment Scheme payment in the next CAP and a new major agri-environment scheme will be introduced in 2023.
These factors have led to more discussions over the last week as to whether or not these measures will become a more prominent feature used to secure payments in the future.
Low-input grasslands
Looking at REAP low-input grasslands (LIG) first, the typical reaction from many farmers and advisers is there is a relatively high bar set for these grasslands to achieve a high score based on the number of indicator species present, which has a direct influence on sward eligibility and payment rates.
The measures of low-input permanent pasture (LIPP) and traditional hay meadows (THM) were among the most prominent selected in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme (GLAS).
There is in the region of 280,000ha of grassland currently farmed to LIPP guidelines and approximately 70,000ha under THM requirements.
Under GLAS, THM need to have at least three grass species and less than 50% of the sward can be made up of ryegrass.
For LIPP pastures, the requirement is for swards to have at least four grass species, with the sward containing less than 30% ryegrass and also containing three non-grass species.
The maximum chemical nitrogen input was set at 40kg/ha or 32 units per acre and the payment rates were €314/ha to €315/ha.
The model of payment in REAP differs to previous agri-environmental schemes in that it is a results-based pilot. This means payment rates will vary depending on how successful a selected measure is and the score it receives.
There are some prescriptive requirements regarding eligibility and management, but, outside of this, there are best-practice recommendations aimed at enhancing the sward’s suitability and increasing the payment rate.
Eligibility requirements
The pilot project lists an area suitable for LIG as being an enclosed grassland field that receives low inputs of chemical and organic nitrogen fertiliser.
The sward must contain less than 30% ryegrass and the field cannot contain heather.
If it fails to meet either of these conditions, then it is deemed ineligible.
The chosen field should have a minimum of four grass species such as cocksfoot, timothy, bent grasses, fescues, sweet vernal, yorkshire, etc.
The requirement which seems to be catching out some swards which are farmed to an average level of intensity is that the field must contain a minimum of two non-grass indicator species. Table 1 details a listing of indicator species for LIG swards.
Applicants accepted into the programme will have received an information booklet to help in identifying these species, while advisers have also received the same information.
Swards that meet the minimum of two non-grass indicator species, but have a low level overall, can complete additional measures such as introducing field margins measuring 1m, 2m or 3m to improve the field score and receive a significant level of payment on that parcel.
If fields score poorly on indicator species there is still half the marks available for additional measures.
Table 2 details payment rates for LIG swards and multispecies leys (MSL).
The Department states that as REAP is a pilot project and not a full scheme, it has a narrower focus regarding objectives, with future schemes having a wider array of measures.
The scorecard has been developed to assess the sustainability of agricultural grassland sward, reward farmers for biodiversity and test the results-based structure.
Farmers and advisers will be expected to engage and share their experience of the pilot with the project team throughout the period, and this is an important aspect for reviewing the operation of the project.
The reports returning from advisers point to grassland swards which are managed moderately intensively with regular grazing, topping, etc, and receiving a reasonable level of chemical nitrogen or slurry not delivering the required number of positive indicators.
This view is backed up by the best-practice guidelines outlined by the Department of Agriculture in recent training with advisers as part of their approval to complete plans.
The advice in terms of artificial nitrogen usage is a negligible level of just 9kg/ha, while it is advised to avoid applying slurry on these parcels.
The reasoning behind this advice is that the positive indicator species are prevalent in swards which are managed extensively and where grass growth is enhanced, they will not be in a position to compete and persist in the sward.
The Department training outlined why this approach of promoting such as an extensive land use option is being taken, highlighting that 15 vascular plants or 1.2% of Ireland’s native plant species have become extinct in recent years, while 17% of plant species are now on a list ranging from threatened to critically endangered.
Results-based mechanism
The results-based model works on the premise of compensating participants for costs incurred or income forgone and it is expected that this mechanism will be used more in future schemes.
The presentation discussing the value of grasslands looked at this payment mechanism.
The financial reward of setting aside a portion of ground for this goal was compared with the returns received from farming the same area in a moderate or intensive manner.
While outlining at the outset that the calculations detailed in Table 3 were a crude measure, the Department said that the figures used still demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved in availing of environmental payments on land that they say would be better utilised for its high nature value rather than its production value for cattle and sheep enterprises.
Three field types were looked at – a very productive field farmed intensively; average quality land that is being looked after really well with good-quality livestock present but not over-stocked; and lastly very poor agricultural land.
The calculations looked at two main production costs – an annual charge for reseeding and fertiliser applied. Other costs, such as veterinary, contractor charges and miscellaneous expenses, were excluded.
Financial rewards
The BPS and ANC payment is taken without greening included and set as the same across the three systems.
The return on sales is taken at a low level of €400/ha for the productive land, half of this for the average-quality land managed productively and €50 for the poor agricultural land.
The environmental payments which can be obtained through REAP were highlighted as being the mechanism for the future of farming in Ireland with regards to environmental payments.
The advice outlined was that farmers with unproductive or poor-quality land would be better served by farming it to enhance its environmental credentials, as opposed to improving its production ability, and to value this land for the other services it can provide besides food and forage.
The Department presentation also outlined the importance of carrying out some level of agricultural activity on lands which are identified for their environmental benefits, with grazing delivering four benefits:
Maintenance or restoration of low nutrient status.Scrub management.Maintenance of structural variation.Increasing organic matter (diversity enhanced by the presence of dung).As touched on earlier, the appropriate maximum nutrient additions to prevent a loss of species richness or promote an increase in these species was outlined as a maximum of 12t/ha of farmyard manure or 9kg N, 23kg P and 83kg K per hectare.
This is said to be the nutrient load shown by scientific evidence not to have negative impacts on the biodiversity value of land.
If the current level of fertiliser applied is lower, then the advice is not to increase your present allocation.
Rotational mixed grazing was outlined as the best grazing technique for grassland swards to promote flora and fauna, livestock performance and soil health.
It is also encouraged not to graze these areas aggressively in spring, to rest swards during the main flowering season, which is typically May, June and July, and to graze in late summer, autumn or winter at an appropriate stocking rate and avoiding poaching.
Resting swards
Resting swards and allowing flowers to seed is seen as vital to replenish the seed bank and reduce nutrient load and competition from grass.
Regular topping is advised against, with the aim for a grassland sward with tufts and ungrazed areas.
Herbicides should also be used sparingly and only via targeted spot spraying of invasive species.
The MSL measure included in the pilot project is aimed at providing an environmentally beneficial measure for swards which are managed in an intensive manner.
It is viewed that these swards have the potential for relatively high output without the same
requirement for chemical
fertiliser.
Fields selected can be an existing multispecies ley or an enclosed ryegrass field which you wish to reseed. Permanent grassland swards cannot be tilled to incorporate a MSL.
The MSL should include a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs as detailed in Table 4. Legumes/herbs must be included in the seed mix, with scores influenced by the number of species present.
The crop must be established by 15 August and a 2m unsprayed/uncultivated zone must be kept between the field boundary and the edge of the reseed.
The greatest scope to increase the potential score is to fence off a 1m, 2m, 3m or 5m margin (takes in the 2m zone) all around the field or on a number of sides.
Marks are awarded for the condition of the crop and range of biodiversity present along with taking into account the width and quality of field margins and field boundaries.
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