Over the last few weeks, AgriSearch has held six farm walks on GrassCheck farms across NI.

The events have all followed a relatively simple format, involving going round a few stops on the farm and most importantly, hearing from the farmer about what is happening within the farm gate.

The main focus has been on grass and grazing management, with all of the farms rotationally grazing their cattle and sheep, allowing them to maximise output and make high-quality silage from surplus grass. The system doesn’t have to be complicated – simply splitting a field with some electric wire is a good start.

But one thing that did come through at most of the events is the potential to integrate more clover into our grass swards, especially on improved/productive land across NI.

There are challenges with clover, especially in a late spring, when it can be slow to get going. There is also the issue of a lack of chemical options to control weeds in clover-based swards, although a new product did come to the NI market this year.

But what the farm walks did highlight was that there is no great secret to be uncovered – successful establishment and growth is reliant on having pH in and around 6.5 and ensuring the plant is supplied with key nutrients such as potassium and sulphur.

Surge

Back in 2022, when fertiliser was rapidly heading for £900/t, there was a surge of interest among local farmers in growing clover swards. Talking to seed merchants, that interest didn’t last long and in fact, a lot of seed is currently sold without any clover at all.

That situation will have to change, because chemical nitrogen fertiliser comes with a significant carbon footprint that we have to reduce. And while there will be lower carbon alternatives, they are likely to be much higher in cost.

As an industry, we have got to make clover a long-term priority, starting from 2026. We have a cohort of farmers already demonstrating what can be achieved.