PastureBase is set to merge with AgriNet Grass to offer one package in 2017. The announcement came on the second day of the National Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly, with the new package expecting to bring huge expertise into grassland software, for use on Irish farms.

All grassland data recorded on Irish farms will also be stored on a national database and accessible to farm users of the system.

Speaking at the announcement of the new merger, Director of Teagasc Professor Gerry Boyle said the alliance would incorporate all commercial grassland data on the one software package. “Ireland, as a nation, is well ahead of our international competitors in this area, and this merger will continue the focus on exploiting this advantage,” said Boyle.

He added that PastureBase will help in the role-out of knowledge transfer groups and be incorporated into “the completion of some of the grassland technologies such as the Teagasc spring rotation planner, grass wedge and autumn grass budget”.

Helping farmers make better informed decisions

Teagasc launched the PastureBase system in 2013, at the same time AgriNet, which is part of the Progressive Genetic Group, launched their package. It is hoped that the joining of the two systems will help Irish farmers make better informed decisions, based on the information from the software in question.

Grass utilisation is set to increase by 2t DM/ha over the coming years, as part of the Food Wise 2025 initiative. Grassland technology can be incorporated across all farming sectors, and further research and development will take place at the Teagasc grassland research centre at Moorepark.

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