Researchers have found that a plant related to clover, the white clover, can play an important role helping Ireland combat climate change.
Scientists at VistaMilk agri-food research centre have announced that their studies indicate that planting clover in fields where cows graze can reduce the need for dairy farmers to use fertiliser by up to 40%. VistaMilk explains that planting clover in grassland reintroduces nitrogen into the soil naturally from the atmosphere.
Senior Teagasc research officer Deirdre Hennessy comments that it reduces reliance on artificial fertiliser and thereby improves productivity. The use of white clover in grazing also helps increase milk quantity, and that by incorporating it in pastureland provides a source of nectar for pollinating insects. “From a farmer’s perspective, this trinity of benefits has huge significance as well,” says Hennessy.
The researcher adds that not only does the clover provide a tasty treat for the animals, but consumers can feel reassured that the milk from cows grazing on white clover is of a high quality as well as being more sustainably produced.
Hennessy says that this shows that by engaging in proper grassland management, the country can avoid a reduction in the national herd and protect the viability of family farms.
As such, she is calling for recognition of the important role clover can play in our society.
LSL News.