Teagasc sets out slurry spreading advice ahead of first silage cut

Dairy research indicates that farms, where the first cut is not taken by the June bank holiday are much more likely to run short of silage in a difficult year.

The value of slurry has essentially doubled in the last year and now stands at around €40 per 1,000 gallons.

Farmers are advised by Teagasc to use about 2,500 gallons per acre of slurry on silage fields.

For first cut silage, the guidance is to have at least 25 kg of nitrogen per hectare (20 units per acre) supplied from slurry, and the remaining 60-75 kg per ha (48–60 units/ac) supplied from chemical N, for a total N application of no more than 100 kg N/ha (including 12-15 units of sulphur) for a crop growing from early April to late May (60 days).