AgNav launches tillage enterprise at Oak Park open day

Back (left to right) Dr Siobhan Jordan, Teagasc; Michael Lynch, ICBF; Jim O Toole, Bord Bia CEO; Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director and John Spink, Teagasc. Front (left to right) Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon and Donal O'Brien Teagasc. Picture: Dylan Vaughan

AgNav has now added tillage enterprises to its online digital platform.

The new tillage capabilities on the platform were launched by minister for agriculture Martin Heydon at the Crops and Technology Open Day in Teagasc Oak Park on June 25. AgNav supports farmers in identifying mitigation strategies for their farms to deliver on climate action.

With the addition of tillage it will allow tillage farmers to calculate the carbon footprint of their crops, marking a significant advancement in sustainability tools for Irish tillage farmers.

AgNav was originally developed as a collaboration between Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation) as a platform designed to help farmers measure and manage the environmental impact of their operations.

With the addition of tillage, this will enable farmers to calculate the carbon footprint of their crops using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model specifically tailored for Ireland. Teagasc collaborated with Tirlán to develop the LCA model specifically for an Irish tillage farming system.

Teagasc’s tillage LCA model follows global standards, evaluating the carbon footprint of native grains, from cradle to farm-gate. Hence, the scope of the model extends from the acquisition of raw materials, through to the harvesting of crops. 

It also utilises national information on agricultural emissions and carbon capture and retention (sequestration) to determine carbon footprint as CO2 emissions per tonne of grain produced.

Speaking at the open day, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, said: 

The tillage sector has a major role to play in achieving Ireland’s climate targets. I welcome this new development in AgNav, which allows farmers to understand their emissions profile and to identify ways of making further sustainability improvements at farm level.

John Spink, Head of the Crops, Environment and Land use Programme in Teagasc, said: “This is an important development for growers and for the tillage sector. Farmers will be able to sign up and get a demonstration of how to use the system. I would encourage all growers to register and use AgNav so that we can get a good view of the carbon footprint of Irish tillage crops.” 

Dr Siobhán Jordan, Head of Teagasc Technology Transfer office, said: “Teagasc, and its partners ICBF and Bord Bia, are committed to the ongoing development of the AgNav tool, and plans are in place to include other farming enterprises in the years ahead. 

(Left to right) John Spink, Teagasc; Professor Frank O'Mara, Teagasc Director; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon; Dr Jack Kennedy, editor of the Irish Farmers Journal and Liam Woulfe, Teagasc Authority at the official opening of the Crops and Technology Open Day in Teagasc Oak Park. Picture: Dylan Vaughan

"It facilitates informed decision-making by farmers to identify the actions for their own individual farms that will have the greatest impact in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and capturing carbon.” 

The ‘Crops and Technology’ Open Day in Oak Park was organised in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Journal. The open day covered the latest research on all main tillage crops and horticulture field crops, and a major machinery demonstration with particular focus on sprayers and the technology available for more accurate applications.