Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That was a very interesting presentation. We should give more recognition to what is going on in the universities. I have been arguing for some time that as part of our new REPS, GLAS and GLAS+, we should have a greenhouse gas emissions inventory. We should be measuring the greenhouse gas footprint of farms now. I would like to have a copy of the slides describing best management practices, if possible. They show how farmers can get increased yields without necessarily increasing greenhouse gas emissions. We need to start somewhere. If each farm has a management programme, this will help farmers get in the right frame of mind on this. Fertilisers have become incredibly expensive. We must try to persuade the Minister to look at this and to give farmers the extra moneys GLAS+ will bring for doing something which will have major benefits down the road for the reasons the witnesses have given.

In regard to phosphorous, I was always of the opinion that it was reasonably immobile in soil. Is Dr. Murphy suggesting that when a farmer spreads phosphorous, it is washed on and pellets go into the stream? The problem we have with phosphorous when spreading it is that it binds up and we find it difficult to get it into the plants. Now we are using a chemical called phosphite to try to promote root growth in the autumn. Has Dr. Murphy any recommendations in that regard? Often when we put in our P and K in the autumn if it is dry, we are afraid it might get bound up in soil. When Dr. Murphy spoke about poorly drained soils was he talking about clay soils? Most tillage is on reasonably good ground. Will he elaborate a little on this?