MULTIFACTORIAL DRIVERS OF FODDER CRISES IN IRISH TEMPERATE PASTURES AND RISKS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The temperate climate of Ireland favours a long grass growing season, which has supported the development of successful pasture-based farming. Animals are grazed outdoors for most of the year and stored fodder is used to feed animals in winter while they are housed indoors. This agricultural system is efficient from an agronomic perspective. However, the high dependence on grass fodder means that prolonged or widespread deficits in growth have led to the occurrence of so-called fodder crises, when available stocks ran too low with resulting impacts on yields, revenues and animal welfare. Fodder crises may vary in spatial and temporal extent and occur due to a multitude of environmental and management factors, some of which may interact with each other. This study reviews current fodder practices in temperate pasture systems such as Ireland’s, then details the various environmental controls on grass growth including moisture availability, temperature and daily solar radiation. Stressors on grass growth from extreme, or limiting, values of these environmental controls such as droughts and heat stress are discussed in the context of the temperate climate.The influence of non-environmental drivers such as management factors are also discussed. Changes in the patterns of drivers of grass growth deficits and fodder crises under future climate scenarios are considered, and some potential mitigation measures are proposed.