UCD Lyons Research Farm
Funding is provided for the research programme for the Development of a high-output grass-based spring milk production system. The initial research programme commenced at the beginning of January 2019, and continued until the end of 2023. A further multi-annual research programme was approved for funding which commenced at the start of 2024 and will run until 2028.
Funding is also provided for the new Dairy Calf Education and Research Facility at UCD Lyons which opens in Spring 2025. This is a new state -of-the-art centre for high quality education and research on dairy calf health. Support of this facility is provided by Dairy Research Trust (Dairy Research Ireland) together with FDB Trust, JFC, MSD, Ornua and ABP.
The aim of the high-output grass-based system research is to
- Incorporate the most recent advances in grassland management for dairy farms
- Use a type of dairy cow that did not exist 15 years ago that has high milk output and fertility
- Employ the best practices from nutrition research and dairy cow husbandry
The research will
- Continue to evaluate a higher output spring system
- Produce KPIs suitable for high out grass based milk production (grass, milk, fertility).
- Optimise cow genotype in the system
- Evaluate different nutritional strategies and management strategies in the system
Dissemination is via
- Weekly notes published on the Lyons Farm Website
- Hosting industry groups on an ongoing basis
- Reports in the main agricultural media
For 2024 Annual Report on UCD Lyons Systems Herd click here