The importance of knowledge and awareness of local water quality and soils was one of the main objectives of Teagasc’s Johnstown Castle open day, which took place on Wednesday.

The “Farming for a Better Future” open day in Wexford, showcased actions and measures to farmers which protect soil health and water quality.

These included existing technologies for reducing gaseous emissions, protecting biodiversity and building carbon were demonstrated at the event.

ADVERTISEMENT

Grassland management in dairy, dairy-beef and organic systems were also showcased providing practical demonstrations and tips for maximising productivity and remaining sustainable, and new technologies for slurry and manure management were demonstrated.

“Competitiveness and resilience are critical to the future of our farming system and agri-food industry and both healthy soils and clean water are necessary building blocks for sustainable farm systems,” Teagasc director, Frank O’Mara said at the event.

Speaking at the open day, David Wall, head of enterprise at Teagasc Johnstown Castle, said: “Farmers face challenges such as rising costs, climate, volatile markets, and changing policy demands, and today’s event is an opportunity to look at how we can build more resilience into farm systems to deal with these pressures.’’

Soils

Understanding your soils is the first step to good soil management, according to Teagasc, and they encourage farmers to examine soil texture, clay, sand and silt as they provide a good indicator of soil drainage and organic matter levels which can influence management decisions.

In addition, it said knowledge of local water quality is essential for farmers in a catchment to select the right measure to protect water quality in their local rivers and streams.

Often, one action can have multiple benefits. For example, liming soils to optimise soil pH also improves nutrient cycling, crop growth, soil health and reduces gaseous emissions.

Well managed healthy soils have multiple benefits, can improve production, water quality, biodiversity and reduce gaseous emissions.