We developed a methodology to assess
the habitat quality of field margins in a set of more intensively managed farms
in Ireland. Overall, we found that over half of the field margins surveyed had
low or very low levels of habitat quality.
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| Field margin with very low habitat quality (dominated by negative indicator species) |
HIighlights: We surveyed farmland habitats on tillage and more intensive beef and dairy farms. Habitat area was lower than that found in the general countryside, and was dominated by linear features (especially hedgerows). All tillage farms and the majority of pastoral farms in our sample met the current 5% EFA requirement, and the vast majority (93%) met a scenario with a 7% EFA requirement. There is a considerable amount of a broader range of wildlife habitats already present on intensively managed farms that was not included in EFA in Ireland, and is not reflected in policy or legislation.
The FarmForBio project has developed a landscape classification map of the Republic of Ireland.
The map and the GIS data are now available on Teagasc’s TStor repository https://t-stor.teagasc.ie/handle/11019/2790
Recent Teagasc research shows that multispecies grasslands can potentially reduce both nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and emissions intensities, and can contribute to more sustainable grassland production. Greenhouse gas measurements carried out by Saoirse Cummins showed that the annual greenhouse gas emissions per unit output (DM yield or biomass N) from the multi-species mixture were lower than those from perennial ryegrass receiving either 150 or 300 kg ha-1 yr-1 of inorganic nitrogen (N).
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As part
of the EU SmartAgriHubs
project, Teagasc is investigating how to incorporate biodiversity into the
Teagasc National Farm Survey. In a recent webinar, I presented the first results from the application of a habitat index to a sample of 300 farms in the NFS.
Based on a Teagasc press release from August 2021
Six-species swards outperformed perennial ryegrass monocultures and were considerably more resistant to drought. New research from Teagasc, Johnstown Castle and Trinity College Dublin shows that multi-species mixtures receiving 150 kg/ha/year of nitrogen fertiliser, out-yielded perennial ryegrass monocultures receiving double that amount of fertiliser (300 kg/ha/year). Increases in plant diversity up to six species in intensively managed grasslands reduced the impact of drought, and produced more yield with less fertiliser.
