Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue requested last year that Teagasc prepare a roadmap detailing the steps that farmers could employ to reduce fertiliser costs at farm level.

Teagasc’s plan, which was released on Wednesday, outlines both short-term and longer-term measures that farmers can implement to reduce their dependency on chemical fertilisers, as costs have remained high.

Outlined below are the 10 steps Teagasc has advised farmers to consider to save on fertiliser costs.

Saving on fertiliser

Spread lime

Soils at an optimum pH will release more nitrogen (N), as will soils at phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) indices of 3.

According to Teagasc’s advice, up to 80kg N/ha can be saved after implementing a liming plan.

Maintain P and K applications

Cutting out compound fertilisers will lower N use efficiency. Teagasc has advised that P and K off-takes are replaced, maintaining indices.

Budget your winter fodder

By knowing your fodder requirements, you can better calculate the area that will need to be closed for your first and second cuts of silage, while ensuring adequate fodder supplies for the coming winter.

Time your slurry application and use LESS

The use of low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) methods can guarantee a 50% higher recovery of the N content of slurry when compared with the splash plate.

Spreading during the spring, rather than the summer months, can allow farmers to retain a further 50% of slurry’s N content, according to Teagasc’s advice.

These savings will equate to slurry delivering a total of 6 units/1,000 gallons more when combined.

Cull poor performers

A cull of the worst-performing 5% of your herd could deliver fertiliser savings of between 5% and 10%, Teagasc has said.

This option will allow farmers to maintain profitability while reducing fertiliser and feed costs, as long as animals are sold “once saleable”.

Give priority to silage crops

Ensure silage ground is the priority with slurry applications. Teagasc states that 75% of slurry’s nutrient value comes from its P and K.

This value can be maximised by reducing the need for compound fertiliser applications on silage fields.

Most farmers should have enough slurry to cover 50% of the farm at an application rate of 2,500 gallons/acre. This will deliver 28kg N/ha, the advisory body said.

Switch to protected urea

A simple switch from CAN to protected urea can save farmers 20% in fertiliser costs.

This saving will come without any reductions in the grass growth of swards.

Include clover

Once clover content exceeds 20% in swards, application rates can be reduced by up to 100kg N/ha.

These reductions in application rates will be the result of cutting the chemical N applied by half from May onwards, once the plant has become established.

A seeding incorporation rate of 2kg/acre was recommended by Teagasc for farmers reseeding or stitching clover into established swards.

Cut spring N

A slight reduction in spring application rates should not substantially affect grass growth rates.

By dropping March chemical N application rates from 59kg N/ha to 50kg N/ha, Teagasc estimates that yearly N fertiliser bills will drop by 3%.

Pull back in summer

The final step Teagasc advised farmers to consider to save on grassland fertiliser costs was to reduce the N spread on highly-stocked holdings from April onwards.

It was recommended that no more than 25kg N/ha be spread for the length of the summer grazing rotation.