Dairy chit chat II

Keepgrowing wrote: »

No not as yet. All farm is gps mapped. I have created ph, p and k maps and find them really useful.

We're trying to create a base line of trace elements. I'm not sure what ones to hone in on as priority as I'm uneducated in this area.

By soil mapping are you referring to gps based soil testing coupled with yield monitoring? I think we may have this done to some degree as I mentioned all farm is mapped and divided into aprox 4 ha paddocks and are sampled as such. We were sampling every year and now have a base line.

It's amazing the difference acting on the results can yield so hoping that continued work on micro elements will improve soil health further thus increasing herd performance.

Going back to 2010 all the fields were mapped for electroconductivity to map the various soil types(local joke is a neighbouring county can have 7 soil types in one pass across a field vs only 6 here from blow away sand to heavy clay) and had 10 samples/ha taken to see what was there. Years of yield maps from 09 are laid over these. Allows micro management down to 10's of m2 with inputs done to match proven % of over the control ' ideal' areas of a given field. Allowed removal of underperforming areas into enviro schemes so the rest can be really pushed. Variability is taken out ideally by seeds/p/k/and the main micro nutrients done variably with the later being done via plant stands at start of the growing season in spring and green area indexes via agronomists drone. N is semi flatrate to traditional yield response/ winter damage in spring.

K.G. wrote: »

Alot of cost creep going on.There seems to be a repeat of the cycle that took place in 07 08 09 where we had a year of good milk prices with realitive cheap inputs followed by a year of good milk price with high inputs and 09 which was bad milk price with high enough inputs,only thing missing is high grain prices

By the sound of it high grain prices certainly aren't going to come, apparently in the likes of Russia and Argentina the cost of production only about 70e/ton, the trade embargo by Europe on Russia only woke up Russia to what it can actually knock out in terms of grain if it wanted to. And high grain prices great to help put the breaks on the high input/output lads. If fertiliser does go back up in price at what price to lads start looking alot more seriously at reducing fertiliser use and instead concentrating on clover etc?

Yes, research into clovers that would work at lower temps, in this country, is long over due.

Didn't know of it. Clon wouldn't be a typical Irish climate. They wouldn't know what frost is, on the one hand and it's very near the sea, on the other.
We know the critical temp for grass is 6C and other species. Surely, we could breed clover varieties with similar critical growth temp, or aim that way, at least.

Water John wrote: »

Didn't know of it. Clon wouldn't be a typical Irish climate. They wouldn't know what frost is, on the one hand and it's very near the sea, on the other.
We know the critical temp for grass is 6C and other species. Surely, we could breed clover varieties with similar critical growth temp, or aim that way, at least.

There's about 12 commercial farms located around the country involved in the clover trial now.
it'll take a few years for any data to come off those farms

Water John wrote: »

Yes, research into clovers that would work at lower temps, in this country, is long over due.

Stanfit has plenty of clover working for him. Sowed a few bags of "crusader" for him last year

Reggie. wrote: »

Stanfit has plenty of clover working for him. Sowed a few bags of "crusader" for him last year

Aghh sure that lad is farming some of the best land in the country !!

Reggie. wrote: »

Dont be telling him that

How did your own reseed turn out after?

mahoney_j wrote: »

We wouldn’t want to be giving him a big head or anything ,keep him grounded !!!!!

Hard to listen to him as it is

Reggie. wrote: »

When's the best time to hit it with abit of spray? March?

I suppose yea. Whenever you think the ground is warm enough and weeds growing.

I thought this was an oversow into an existing sward?
You'd think there shouldn't have been much of a chance of weed seeds germinating just from scratching the top of the ground.
Depends on the land I suppose.

(That's a genuine question btw even if it does sound a bit uppidty).

Any one thinking of going out with urea in the next week or 2?
What's the prices like around the country?

K.G. wrote: »

Alot of cost creep going on.There seems to be a repeat of the cycle that took place in 07 08 09 where we had a year of good milk prices with realitive cheap inputs followed by a year of good milk price with high inputs and 09 which was bad milk price with high enough inputs,only thing missing is high grain prices

Have all this years fertiliser bought, as of Friday, rep was saying very little has been forward bought compared to last year, a lot of dairy farmers are spending small fortunes on parlours/sheds etc and the money wasn't their to forward buy fertiliser

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Couple of questions...

What’s the optimum temp for the medicine cabinet?

Where would I find the current (2017/18) Irish budget/purse/envelope for dairy farms?
Is the budget capped or a function/percentage of GNP (not GDP!)?

Thanks.

Tams 11 budget for 2017 was 50 million, probably will be around this for 2018 could be higher depending on number of applications, theirs still 300 plus odd million available till 2020 under the Rural development scheme