Grass – Your greatest asset

It will highlight how the results of recent scientific studies can be implemented at a farm level to deliver sustainable levels of beef production from grass.

Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute’s (AFBI) soil, agronomy and sustainable livestock production scientists, will indicate how nutrients can be best utilised within the farm gate to produce beef in a cost effective and environmentally friendly manner.      

Webinar chair: David Wright

David Wright is the Northern Ireland (NI) editor of the Irish Farmers Journal and is responsible for relevant news and features in the NI edition of the paper. He has a degree in general agriculture and a PhD obtained from Queens University Belfast. In his spare time, he runs a suckler to beef farm in Co. Tyrone. 

Speakers:

Suzanne Higgins (AFBI)

Dr Suzanne Higgins is a soil scientist and member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists (M.I. Soil Sci.). She has 16 years’ experience in nutrient management research.

Dr Higgins has specific expertise in soil fertility and managing nutrients at farm and field scale, to optimise production but minimise losses to the environment. Suzanne will outline the relevance of her recent studies to beef production systems and will offer guidance on best practise.

David Patterson (AFBI)

Dr David Patterson completed a PhD on grass/clover sward dynamics. He then became the turfgrass breeder at AFBI Loughgall before taking up a grassland technology post in the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

After working in various roles within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and then the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), he came back to grassland research in 2018 as the grassland agronomist at AFBI Hillsborough. David has been involved in projects covering winter defoliation of silage swards; flooding impact; fertiliser nitrogen uptake; agronomy of silage systems and recently multispecies swards.

David will discuss how clover can be used in beef production systems to reduce the requirement for chemical nitrogen applications and will highlight important management tips for grass/clover swards.

Francis Lively (AFBI)

Dr Francis Lively is a livestock production scientist at AFBI Hillsborough. He has fifteen years’ experience in beef production research, including grassland management. Dr Lively lead a recently completed DAERA and AgriSearch funded project “Beef from Grass” and will present key findings from this project at the webinar.

Dr Lively will indicate measures that can be taken to reduce the concentrate requirement on beef farms through maximising the days at grass and feeding high quality silage during the indoor periods. He will also indicate the importance of grass for cost effective beef production in an environmentally friendly manner.

Ciaran Hamill (CAFRE)

Ciaran Hamill is a CAFRE senior beef and sheep development adviser based in Armagh. He is a professional member of the Institute of Agricultural Management and completed a Nuffield Scholarship on electronic identification and information flow in the red meat supply chain in 2008.

Mr Hamill has many years’ experience in knowledge exchange with CAFRE, specialising in information technology, business management and beef and sheep production.

Ciaran will outline the importance of adopting scientific findings at a farm level to ensure productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability can be achieved at the farm gate.

James Henderson (CAFRE technology demonstration farmer)

James Henderson is a beef and sheep farmer from Kilkeel, Co Down. His beef enterprise involves the rearing and finishing of autumn born dairy origin beef heifers.

Mr. Henderson will outline how he has adopted a range of technologies, such as grass measuring and pre mowing, to improve grass production, quality and utilization.

Though this adoption, Mr. Henderson has been able to increase the livestock performance whilst also reducing the concentrate usage on his farm. He has also focused on reducing the duration that animal remain on the farm which has production, financial and environmental benefits.