Seamus Kearney, Teagasc Training and Development Specialist on the Signpost Programme, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge to discuss some of the ways that farmers can reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from their farms.

Seamus explains that 65% of farm emissions are coming from methane and approximately 30% are coming from nitrous oxide which is derived mainly from how slurry is spread and the chemical fertiliser that is used on farms. 

Seamus says that by switching from CAN to protected urea and using the most environmentally friendly compounds, where allowances allow, products such as 18:6:12 and 10:10:20, is not only an environmentally savvy solution but also a very financially wise move with savings of €40-50 per cow at current prices.  

Seamus expects that approximately 20% of nitrogen used in 2022 will have been protected urea and he says that at roughly €50 more for protected urea, the reduced losses associated with it means that there is nearly €120 more fertiliser because of the protection preventing losses in comparison to straight urea. 

Seamus is very clear that farmers need to spread lime before the end of the year where needed and is looking forward to a white Christmas this year because of the lime being spread by farmers!

Finally, Seamus says that farmers can replace 5t of CAN fertiliser with 3t of 46% protected urea and by doing this they can save approximately €1000 at current fertiliser prices and that for every 5t of CAN they replace with the protected urea, they are also reducing the emissions from their farms by the equivalent of nearly 1 dairy cow.

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The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com