The Fertility Reality Check: Ireland’s soils are improving but 44% remain below target pH
After years of fertiliser price shocks, tighter environmental rules and a sharper focus on nutrient efficiency, are Irish soils improving or quietly slipping backwards?
For the first time, we now have a clearer answer. Teagasc’s new Soil Analysis Status and Trends Dashboard brings together 20 years of national soil data in one accessible platform, allowing farmers, advisors, and policymakers to track changes in soil pH, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) across enterprises, counties, and land types.
The latest figures show measurable progress. In 2025, the proportion of soils below the critical pH threshold of 6.2 fell to 44%, down significantly on recent years. More soils are moving towards recommended P and K ranges, and the proportion meeting agronomic fertility targets has increased.
Teagasc has supported soil analysis and nutrient management in Irish agriculture since the 1950’s. The new Power BI dashboard now presents soil pH, P and K results from more than 800,000 samples analysed since 2006.
Users can explore fertility trends at national, county and enterprise level. The platform also introduces enhanced indicators of nutrient sufficiency and balanced fertility, supporting more informed nutrient management decisions and improved targeting of advisory supports.
Importantly, the dashboard recognises that soil fertility targets vary across farming systems and land types. In some extensive or semi-natural grassland systems, lower fertility levels may be appropriate to support biodiversity and habitat conservation objectives. The inclusion of additional variables such as soil type and the crop category “extensive grassland” provides important context when interpreting results across different enterprises and land uses.
Dr Veronica Nyhan, Soil and Plant Nutrition Specialist with Teagasc, said: “The move to a digital, interactive dashboard represents an important step forward in how we share soil data with farmers and advisors. It makes national and regional trends more accessible and easier to interpret, helping to identify where improvements are being made and where further action is needed.”
During 2025, Teagasc analysed over 39,000 soil samples, approximately 90% of which were from grassland systems. Dairy farms continue to perform comparatively better, reflecting higher nutrient inputs and stocking intensity. However, soil fertility deficits remain widespread across drystock and tillage systems, with a significant proportion of soils still below recommended agronomic ranges.
The analysis confirms that soil fertility reflects long-term management decisions and cumulative nutrient balances rather than short-term changes in fertiliser use alone. Improvements in soil pH are likely linked to increased lime application, supported by national liming initiatives and advisory programmes. Correcting soil pH remains a critical first step in improving nutrient availability and nitrogen use efficiency.
Dr Stan Lalor, Teagasc Director of Knowledge Transfer and original developer of the Soil Fertility Trends Analysis, added: “The dashboard highlights that while progress is being made, a large proportion of Irish soils remain below optimal fertility levels. Improving soil fertility represents a major opportunity to increase farm profitability while also delivering environmental benefits through better nutrient use efficiency. Making this data available in an interactive format will support better decision-making at farm, advisory and policy level.”
The Soil Analysis Status and Trends Dashboard is now available through the Teagasc website here