Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has announced that the Department of Agriculture is carrying out a review of the effectiveness of multispecies swards (MSS) and red clover silage measures.
He said the review will factor in “the benefits, costs and the resultant significant uptake in the use of these crops in recent years” and that he will make a decision on the availability of the MSS and red clover measure in the future “in due course”.
"Research on red clover silage has shown that due to its nitrogen fixing ability, these swards are higher in protein than conventional silage and – combined with their ability to yield over 14t DM/ha – will assist farmers in reducing their concentrate feed bills while also benefiting the environment and reducing GHG emissions," the minister said in response to a parliamentary question from Cork TD Aindrias Moynihan.
He also said that trial work on MSS has shown positive results around low nitrogen fertiliser use which has a beneficial impact on reducing nitrous oxide emissions, while reducing input costs for farmers.
"The different rooting structures in these swards allow for improved soil structure along with a greater tolerance to drought conditions while the species mix also benefits biodiversity," he said.
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