AgNav: Supporting Farm Sustainability Series
AgNav driving 'big improvements from simple actions' - Tipperary farmer
Agriland Media Group is delighted to team up with Teagasc, Bord Bia, and ICBF to bring you the AgNav: Supporting Farm Sustainability Series.
Calf-to-beef farmer, Michael O'Donnell, explains how he is using AgNav, supported by his Teagasc Signpost Climate Adviser, Leonard Betts.
AgNav is a free digital platform for Irish farmers, developed by Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF, and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Farmers can use AgNav to develop farm-specific sustainability action plans to reduce on-farm emissions and improve water quality.
Michael is farming 130ac near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, which is a mix of owned and rented land and has been running his calf-to-beef system for the last four years.
Before that, it was store-to-beef. Now Michael buys in calves both in the autumn and the spring to spread the workload.
He said: "My focus is really just on producing them as efficiently as I can."
Michael was introduced to AgNav by his Teagasc Signpost Climate Adviser last year and said that, ever since, the platform has been improving efficiencies on the farm.
In terms of logging in to AgNav, Michael said: "I logged in with my ICBF login, which is handy, and all the information from my previous Bord Bia audit was there.
"It’s actually very simple to use. You can log in and play around with the Forecaster tool. For example, you can change the dates for when you let animals out to grass in spring and when they’re brought in, and you’ll see the difference that this makes to your emissions."
From his own experience, Michael suggested that other farmers should try AgNav.
He recommended: "Play with it and see how you can reduce your emissions with small, incremental changes on your farm."
Michael has made a few small but significant changes on his farm, starting with purchasing only protected urea and no calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN).
Michael is also targeting getting all his slurry out in springtime and after the first cut of silage in suitable conditions.
Previously he would have left a bit for the autumn, he said that "you get more use out of it in the spring.
"I’ve also been using LESS (low emission slurry spreading) equipment for the last few years, which is another big improvement I’ve made to reduce emissions."
By using the AgNav Forecaster tool, Michael understands that getting animals out to grass early and extending the grazing season by an extra week or two can make a big difference to a farm's emissions.
Michael's AgNav Actions:
- Early turnout and later housing;
- Incorporation of clover;
- 100% protected urea;
- Enhance soil fertility;
- Increase live weight gain;
- Use of LESS;
- Spring slurry application.
According to Michael: "There’s big improvements to be made from simple actions on the farm."
Teagasc Signpost Climate Adviser, Leonard Betts has worked closely with Michael so the Co. Tipperary farmer utilises AgNav in an efficient manner and to suit his farm system.
Leonard said: "When I sit down with a farmer, the first thing we look at is where they are right now – their carbon footprint, their total emissions, and where they could potentially go by taking certain actions."
He added that "AgNav is a huge help in my work" and highlighted the ease of taking an option - such as protected urea - to show the farmer exactly how much they can reduce their emissions just by making that one switch.
Leonard has worked with Michael to put together a plan of actions that were appropriate for Michael's farm – practical steps that the farmer is likely to take on.
"The other advantage with AgNav is that you can print out a clear action plan. If it’s written down, it’s more likely to happen."
Leonard has now engaged with over 1,000 farmers to introduce them to AgNav – at local co-ops, in discussion groups, and as part of the ACRES programme.
The Signpost Climate Adviser believes that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive because the action farmers are being asked to do are straightforward and can make their farms more profitable.
AgNav is available to all beef, dairy, and tillage farmers through the AgNav website (www.agnav.ie).
Additionally, all beef, dairy, and tillage farmers can sign up for the free Teagasc Signpost Advisory Programme for support and guidance on using and implementing AgNav.
Beef and dairy farmers can also join through an affiliated processor sustainability scheme.