Smart Autumn Investments for 2025: Lime Spreading and Silage Analysis
As farmers enter the final stretch of 2024 and look ahead to 2025, practical steps that deliver both economic returns and environmental benefits are more important than ever. Enda Geoghegan, Climate and Sustainability Advisor with Teagasc in Ballina, Mayo, highlights two high-impact actions for autumn 2025: spreading lime to improve soil health and grass growth, and conducting thorough silage analysis to optimise animal performance. Taken together, these actions support farm profitability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions—benefits that align with both the farm business and the climate agenda.
Action 1: Spread Lime to Boost Soil Health and Grass Growth
With stronger incomes anticipated across beef, sheep, and dairy sectors in 2025, many farmers have room to reinvest in their land. Spreading lime stands out as one of the smartest returns on investment. A properly limed soil improves nutrient availability, enhances grass utilisation, and reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers, all of which contribute to a healthier farm system and lower emissions.
On most clay soils, maintaining soil pH around 6.3 can enable the same level of grass growth with less fertiliser. Lime has a track record of delivering solid returns for both drystock and dairy farms by improving pasture productivity, reducing fertiliser inputs, and supporting livestock performance. In short, lime is a practical, high-value investment that helps farmers lower running costs while supporting climate goals.
Key benefits of spreading lime include:
- Releases soil nitrogen: Lime can release up to 70 kg of soil nitrogen per hectare annually, reducing the need for chemical N fertilisers.
- Boosts grass growth: Correcting soil pH can lift grass growth by about 10–15%.
- Strong economic return: Approximate returns of €5 for every €1 spent on lime on drystock farms and €7 on dairy farms.
- Environmental benefit: Lower fertiliser use translates to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Practical timing considerations matter, even though they aren’t needed for this specific season. For silage fields, ensure lime is spread with enough time before silage closure; lime can affect preservation if carried into clamps or bales. Slurry should be applied before lime, with a 7–10 day gap to avoid nutrient losses, and it’s wise to wait three months between lime application and unprotected urea or slurry. Trials also indicate it is safe to spread protected urea on fields that have been limed.
Action 2: Silage Analysis to Drive Feed Quality and Animal Performance
Knowing the quality of silage is crucial for achieving consistent livestock performance. Silage analysis helps identify energy, protein, and mineral balance, guiding decisions on supplementary feeds and overall ration planning. This year, silage analysis is also a requirement of the Suckler Welfare Scheme, underscoring its importance for compliance and good farming practice.
High-quality silage supports better animal performance and can reduce the need for expensive concentrate inputs. With the cost of concentrates typically ranging from €340 to €420 per tonne, relying too heavily on high-cost feeds due to suboptimal silage is financially risky. A practical example illustrates the point: fifty weanlings fed 120 days on silage at 66% DMD (digestible dry matter) would require about 1.8 kg/day of concentrate to achieve 0.6 kg/day weight gain. If the silage quality improves to 75% DMD, the concentrate need drops to roughly 0.4 kg/day, saving about 1.4 kg/day per animal. Across a winter, this equates to significant feed cost savings—potentially tens of thousands of euros depending on herd size.
Quantifying these savings matters: better silage quality can deliver more weight gain, earlier finishing, and, importantly, lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product. A thorough silage analysis now informs feeding strategies, helping farmers optimise both performance and environmental impact.
Putting It All Together: Profit and Sustainability
Both spreading lime and conducting silage analysis are cost-effective ways to enhance farm profitability while supporting environmental objectives. Spreading lime improves pasture productivity and reduces reliance on fertilisers, contributing to lower emissions and more resilient soils. Silage analysis, on the other hand, directly improves feed efficiency and animal performance, reducing concentrate costs and the farm’s carbon footprint per unit of production.
As October begins, Teagasc’s Signpost Advisory Programme continues to offer support to farmers seeking climate-smart, practical actions. Enda Geoghegan notes that these measures align with broader sustainability goals while delivering tangible financial benefits. By prioritising lime application and silage analysis, farmers can set themselves up for a more profitable and sustainable 2025.
Final note
To maximise impact, plan both actions now. Spreading lime and completing a thorough silage analysis should be considered essential autumn tasks for any farm aiming to improve soil health, enhance animal performance, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the year ahead.
