Teagasc has insisted that a “huge programme of work” is being undertaken by the research body into reducing on-farm chemical fertiliser usage.

The State body’s comments follow projections that nitrogen prices will double by 2030 as result of the EU’s continued application of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the phasing out of free emissions allowances for imported fertilisers.

The worrying forecasts were included in a recent assessment of the impact of CBAM on EU fertiliser prices and fertiliser usage which was undertaken by economists at Germany’s Thunen Institute.

Teagasc insisted that addressing the challenges posed by fertiliser price volatility was a key focus for the research and advisory body.

However, the State body accepted that fertiliser usage on Irish farms could exceed the Climate Action Plan’s 2030 limit for chemical nitrogen by 13%.

The ceiling for chemical nitrogen usage under the Climate Action Plan is set at 300,000t by 2030.

But under a ‘business as usual’ scenario Teagasc conceded that nitrogen usage is forecast to be around 347,000t in 2030.

Extensively

“Teagasc has extensively researched approaches to reduce the reliance on nitrogen fertiliser over many years. Many of these approaches have been demonstrated at the systems scale across Teagasc and commercial farms,” the State agency maintained.

“These measures include: improving soil fertility to optimisation soil N release and optimise plant growth; low emission slurry spreading and manure additives to increase the nitrogen fertiliser replacement value of slurry/manure; the incorporation of legumes and multispecies swards to replace chemical nitrogen with nitrogen fixed by symbiotic organisms; and the use of digestate from anaerobic digestion,” it pointed out.

A Teagasc spokesperson claimed the research body was carrying out “a whole range of studies evaluating different strategies around reduced chemical nitrogen levels”.

“Moorepark, Clonakilty, Grange, Athenry, Ballyhaise, Curtins and Johnstown Castle are comparing different combinations of perennial ryegrass, perennial ryegrass with white and red clover, and multi species swards with dairy, beef and sheep systems across different nitrogen fertiliser levels,” a spokesperson maintained.

The Clover 150 project on 30 dairy farms has cut chemical N fertiliser use by 24%, while herbage production has been maintained at approximately 14t DM/ha/year, the spokesperson said. However, despite the research focus on reducing nitrogen, on-farm usage has bounced back and plateaued at around 335,000-350,000t since the Russian invasion of Ukraine hit fertiliser prices and sales in 2022-24.

Indeed, Teagasc predicts that nitrogen usage this year will be around 338,000 tonnes – although this figure could fall due to the drought. It was 349,000t in 2025.

Explaining farmers’ reluctance to cut nitrogen application levels, a senior Teagasc source pointed out that a high proportion of the country’s 50,000-60,000 drystock farmers generally spread 80-100 units of nitrogen per acre each year and are unlikely to respond to advisory messaging.

Among the country’s dairy farmers, the adviser contended that “faith in clover hasn’t come through”.

Pointed

The adviser pointed out that many dairy farmers are carrying more than three cows per hectare on the milking platform and are targeting 13t of grass per hectare.

Most dairy farmers saw a sharp drop in grass yields when they reduced nitrogen applications between 2022 and 2024 and they are reluctant to do that again, the adviser explained.

Reseeding levels are also too low to allow farmers test and appreciate the benefits of clover, the adviser added.

While the National Farm Survey Sustainability Report for 2025 confirms that nitrogen application levels on dairy farms have moved back to around 200 units per acre, the adviser pointed out that this has not resulted in an overall drop in usage as dairy farmers have taken on more land and the same tonnage is being spread over a bigger area.

Teagasc defends the shutdown of its Solohead clover study

Teagasc has defended its decision to shut down its clover and zero nitrogen study at the ArraTipp Co-op farm in Solohead outside Tipperary town.

The axing of the research project came as a surprise given the increased focus on fertiliser usage both from a cost and climate change perspective.

The farm also enjoyed a strong profile, and attracted close to 5,000 farmer visitors during 2022 and 2023.

Explaining its decision, Teagasc stated that it “continuously reviews its programmes as would be expected from a leading scientific institute”.

“Teagasc has a very big programme in the area of white clover research right across the organisation,” the research body claimed.

Demonstration

“In consultation with the Solohead farm owners (ArraTipp) a new research and demonstration programme has been developed for the Solohead farm which started in 2025,” Teagasc added.

The Thunen Institute study predicted that Irish fertiliser usage will fall by at least 16% in the south and east as a result of the expected spike in nitrogen prices due to CBAM, with up to 30% of a reduction forecast for the west of the country.

This will result in a 12% drop in Irish farm incomes, the report claimed.