To utilise novel strategies in relation to animal breeding, alternative forage use and supplementation of novel feed additives to improve the environmental sustainability of Irish pasture based dairy-calf to beef considering biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality to deliver environmentally and economically beneficial future dairy-beef production systems. Ciaran 2024: To compare the performance of dairy-beef calves across multiple experiments, including varied planes of nutrition, levels of immune status, and weaning strategies, as well as reduce environmental impact through feed additives. Ciaran 2025: To compare the performance of dairy replacement heifers and dairy-beef calves across multiple experiments, including varied planes of nutrition (both pre- and post-weaning), as well as the potential mitigation of methane emissions through the feeding of methane mitigating additives.

Development and assessment of products produced through green biorefinery. To investigate the characterisation, processing, and scalability of different green biomass feedstocks within a green biorefinery process, in order to identify suitable feedstocks, optimise production pathways, and assess their potential applications and sustainability for commercial implementation.

To improve the persistence and resilience of the forage herb component of multispecies swards (MSS), and to determine the agronomic performance of additional novel species within these swards

The aim of this project is to investigate if there is any impact from sward types on water usage and water quality in pasture based beef production systems in Ireland. This project aims to gain more insight and to explore a possible difference in the overall environmental impact, from the incorporation of more diverse swards to this production system. To development management blueprints for application at commercial farm level that will support producers to reduce their environmental footprint and quantify same. To begin a journey for ABP’s trial farm to carbon neutral beef production.