Limerick

Ireland

William Burchill-Sole trader

Adoption of digestate application and diverse swards to improve soil health on grassland

The experiment aims to improve soil health on a beef farm by reducing chemical fertilizer use and enhancing soil biodiversity, structure, and fertility implementing two practices: multispecies swards and digestate application. Monoculture grass areas will be reseeded with diverse swards including nitrogen-fixing legumes to reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen. Digestate will be applied to paddocks with low phosphorus levels, providing carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen to improve soil fertility, organic matter, and biological activity. The farm operates under typical regional conditions, allowing results to be relevant to similar systems.

Duration of the pilot 24 Months

Type of Farm

Livestock

Type of Soil

Loam, clay loam soil

Crops Involved

Pasture

Practices

  • Species diversification in grassland

  • Apply digestate