Soil testing and analysis rates are on the decline across all of Ireland’s main agricultural land use sectors.

That is according to a report recently published by Teagasc.

The organisation's Soil Fertility Dashboard and Report 2025 confirms that the overall number of soil samples analysed in the last calendar year declined by 44% relative to 2024, with reductions observed across all major farm enterprises.

Teagasc analysed a total 39,033 soil samples in 2025, the majority of which were derived from grassland systems, providing an updated national overview of soil fertility status across the main farming enterprises.

Dairy farms accounted for 18,241 samples, representing a 13.5% reduction compared with 2024.

Meanwhile, on tillage farms, 3,797 soil samples were analysed, representing a 20% decline year on-year.

A total of 16,452 samples were analysed from drystock farms - 14,503 beef and 1,949 sheep - corresponding to a 62% decrease relative to the previous year.

The reduction in the number of soil samples submitted for analysis in 2025, relative to the year previous, is being attributed to the impact of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

Courtesy of the new report, Teagasc is pointing out that enterprise differences observed in the dataset are consistent with national farm performance analyses and can be partly explained by differences in whole-farm nutrient balances.

Milk production

Dairy farms typically operate with higher phosphorus (P) surpluses than drystock systems.

This is due to higher fertiliser inputs, greater stocking intensity, and the importation of nutrients in purchased concentrate feeds, which are subsequently recycled through organic manures.

Drystock farming

In contrast, drystock farms generally import lower quantities of concentrate feed and often operate with neutral or negative phosphorus balances due to lower fertiliser inputs and ongoing nutrient offtake in animal products.

Over time, such nutrient deficits contribute to declining soil P and potassium (K) status and help explain the higher proportion of soils at lower fertility indices observed in this enterprise group.

Interpretation of soil fertility results within drystock systems must also recognise the influence of land type and habitat management objectives.

Many drystock farms include areas of marginal land, semi-natural grasslands, or peat soils where inherently low soil pH and nutrient status are characteristic ecosystem features.

In some cases, maintaining lower fertility levels is necessary to support biodiversity and habitat conservation objectives, and these areas would not be expected to achieve conventional agronomic fertility targets.

The inclusion of such land types within the soil sample dataset may therefore contribute to lower average fertility indices without necessarily indicating suboptimal management.

Tillage

Tillage systems may also experience nutrient deficits where crop nutrient offtake exceeds nutrient inputs, particularly during periods of reduced fertiliser use.

Soil pH levels within these systems are generally adequate and, in some regions, elevated due to calcareous parent materials associated with limestone-derived soils, in addition to routine liming practices.

Despite favourable pH conditions, long-term phosphorus and potassium deficits remain evident, likely reflecting high nutrient removal in harvested crops, soil texture effects on nutrient supply and retention, and more limited access to organic nutrient sources compared with livestock enterprises.

One factor that may help explain the relatively weaker soil fertility performance in some tillage systems is land tenure.

A significant proportion of tillage land is farmed under short-term rental or conacre arrangements, which can limit the incentive to invest in longer-term soil fertility improvements, particularly building soil phosphorus.

Management decisions may prioritise short-term crop returns over sustained soil fertility investment, potentially contributing to the persistence of lower nutrient indices associated with this sector.

Across all systems, soil fertility outcomes are influenced not only by management decisions but also by structural characteristics such as enterprise profitability, production intensity, access to organic nutrient sources, and overall input capacity.

These factors help explain persistent differences in soil fertility status between enterprises and highlight that improvements in soil fertility require both agronomic and economic considerations.