Climate changes likely to change farming practices

CONTINUING climate changes are likely to significantly alter the systems of farming practiced in Ireland, an international conference was told yesterday.

Dr Myles Rath of UCD’s Agri-Food and the Environment Faculty told the opening session of the International Grassland Congress in Dublin that summer droughts leading to severe reductions in grass growth were likely to be more common over the coming decades.

In a paper on farming trends in Ireland, prepared jointly with Steve Peel of the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Britain, Dr Rath said evidence of climate change was becoming stronger.

“Four of the five warmest years recorded in central England since records began in 1772 have occurred since 1990. Also, an analysis of weather data for the UK for the past 150 years shows higher levels of rainfall in winter and lower levels in summer since the mid- 1970s,” said Dr Rath.

“In Ireland and the UK, we can expect more variable weather with more extremes occurring. In addition to drier summers, we can expect temperature and rainfall to increase in winter. While winter grass growth will increase, wetter soils will make livestock grazing difficult.”

Dr Rath said the trend will be for grass to be devoted almost entirely to grazing with significant reductions in the amount of grass conserved as silage.

The amount of maize grown by farmers as a winter feed for livestock will increase and there is also likely to be more interest by farmers in lucerne and other drought-resistant crops.

Minister of State Brendan Smith officially opened the Congress at UCD. It has attracted 1,500 of the world’s leading scientists, economists and policy makers and runs until Friday.