Latest news with #BetterFarmingforWaterCampaign
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Farmers see Moorepark's blueprint for cleaner water in action at open day
With Ireland's dairy industry depending heavily on water quality improvements in order to secure a nitrates derogation beyond this year, one of the country's best-known dairy farms is doing its bit. The Teagasc farm at Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, was visited by dairy farmers from all over Ireland at the recent open day, and they heard about the farm's water quality challenge, and what is being done about it (the farm is also restricted due to a bovine TB outbreak, so visitors got a dose of farming reality on the double). The farm is in a catchment of the Funshion river, which rises in the Galtee Mountains at Kilbeheny, and flows southward, then westward, before flowing southeast through Glanworth and draining into the Munster Blackwater about 3.5km downriver of Fermoy. It passes through the Moorepark farm. The Funshion catchment on each side of the motorway in north Cork has four Environmental Protection Agency water quality monitoring stations. Their results show the area's "moderate" ecological status, and average nitrate concentrations of 3.5 to 4mg/l, exceeding the estuarine standard of 2.6mg/L. Teagasc has also been measuring nitrate leaching from pastures, using ceramic cups at the root zone level about a metre below the soil surface. The figures were higher at Moorepark (8.34 to 11.03) and at Teagasc's Curtins farm, Fermoy (6.2 to 9.55), compared to the farm at Teagasc's Clonakilty Agricultural College (2.35 to 4.89). Water quality improvements are needed in the Funshion area to achieve the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive (and as part of the water quality improvement needed to secure Ireland's nitrates derogation). Under the guidance of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme advisers, several measures in the Better Farming for Water Campaign and the Farming for Water EIP have been, or will be implemented, in Moorepark. These measures include a rainwater management plan, which is a basic feature of the Farming for Water EIP. It is a detailed evaluation and mapping of water flow in the farmyard and the surrounding land. Another Farming for Water basic, nitrogen surplus reduction, is being carried out by improving soil fertility, optimising fertiliser application and timing, and using white and red clover swards to replace chemical fertiliser, and plantain in swards to reduce nitrate leaching. Precision nitrogen spreading is also used. Other Farming for Water measures at Moorepark are tree-planting along waterways, water bars (on farm roadways to divert run-off away from rivers and streams), sediment traps, willow filter beds, and a farmyard settlement tank (a two-chamber tank to help filter and "polish" water before it reaches the drainage network). About 8km of native hedgerows have been established on the Moorepark farm, helping to reduce overland flow, and supporting biodiversity. In 2023, three hectares of native woodland and undisturbed water setback were established to prevent excess nutrients and sediment from entering the Funshion River. This will also stabilise the riverbank, while increasing the carbon sequestration potential and biodiversity. Additional farmyard measures being explored include sand filters and constructed wetlands to treat dairy soiled water, and willow filter beds to mitigate water coming from lightly trafficked yards. The work at Moorepark mirrors national actions on water quality, which have contributed to the 10% reduction in nitrate concentration in rivers in most regions last year, as recently reported by the EPA. More than 3,600 farmers have applied for support under the five-year Farming for Water EIP, which commenced last year, with €50m ringfenced for payments to up to 15,000 farmers. Meanwhile, 50 Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme advisers provide free, confidential water quality advice and support to farmers, in addition to Teagasc's Better Farming for Water advisory campaign. Grant aid for low-emission slurry spreading equipment and manure storage has been increased to 60%, combined with a separate investment threshold of €90,000. Since 2015, more than €138m has been paid to farmers supporting their investments in manure storage and low-emission slurry spreading. Read More Teagasc confirms rebounds in farm incomes for all sectors last year
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
WaterMARKE project report identifies drivers and barriers for farmers to protect water quality
Know-how and farmer norms are among the most important drivers of behaviour change in addressing Ireland's water quality challenges, according to the latest WaterMARKE project report. The WaterMARKE project was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) and involved economic, psychology, and scientific researchers from Teagasc and the University of Galway. Researchers in the project have investigated how the use of research and knowledge exchange can achieve greater uptake of farm-level water quality mitigation measures to secure an improvement in water quality that the Water Framework Directive requires. Agricultural activities can impact water quality when nutrients, sediments, and pesticides enter waterways. Nutrients like nitrogen can leach through light soils into groundwater, while phosphorus and sediment can be lost through overland flow on heavy soils. For mitigation, mechanisms of nutrient and sediment loss into water are complex and site-specific, making them difficult to prevent. Noel Meehan, Head of Teagasc Water Quality Knowledge Transfer Department, said: 'WaterMARKE identified behavioural drivers and barriers for farmers in adopting water quality protection actions… The research shows that advisors also need training and upskilling in the provision of water quality advice, something that the Better Farming for Water Campaign is working to achieve with both Teagasc and private advisors.' Mr Meehan added that the project's findings can be utilised to develop policies and supports for both farmers and advisors. These developments can keep behavioural drivers in mind to ensure the use of appropriate farming practices and mitigation actions that can lead to work towards positive water quality outcomes. Overall, the WaterMARKE project concluded with nine key findings. Firstly, there is a need for more local data and understanding. Improving local environmental issues requires localised activity data and an understanding of nutrient loss pathways. The research highlighted the growth in collaborations across all the 'actors' who can influence water quality, citing LAWPRO, local farmers and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) tackling bathing water quality issues at Lough Ennell, Co Westmeath. WaterMARKE also found that although farmers are generally motivated to improve water quality, they need support in terms of knowledge and resources. Key drivers of behaviour change include the role of advisors in raising awareness and the importance of localised support. Farmers and advisors face knowledge, technical challenges, and administrative burdens that carry compliance and psychological costs. Farmers with strong behavioural drivers to adopt specific measures are those who are aware of the measures that need to be taken, believe they can undertake it, and live in areas where others have implemented the measure. Other factors that lead to greater adoption include large farm size, previous participation in agri-environmental schemes, having a point source pollution issue, engagement with advisors, and agricultural education. Farmers are more accepting of measures that incur less cost and have a more immediate, visible effect, such as drainage ditch remediation. The cost of implementing measures is often a negative driver. Measures with high implementation or transaction costs need to be differentially incentivised. Spatial modelling highlights variation in place and farm-specific implementation costs, which must be considered when assessing appropriate measures for individual farms. Farms with high opportunity costs for loss of land/productivity may be less likely to engage with mitigation measures. Read More National push to protect rivers and secure nitrates derogation
