Over 145,000 soil samples have been collected, processed and analysed over the past two years under the soil sampling and analysis programme.

The results of the national programme, which was carried out on more than 10,500 Irish farms between 2024 and 2025, will provide the largest ever nationwide database of soil nutrients and soil carbon levels in the history of the State.

This new database will help inform key actions to reduce carbon emissions in Irish agriculture in line with the sector's legally binding 2030 targets as set out under the Government’s Climate Action Plan, including reducing fertiliser usage, enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality.

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The programme will also provide data to monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms.

FRS Co-op was appointed by the Department of Agriculture in December 2023 to lead and manage the Irish soil expert consortium (ISEC), which carried out the work, and included three accredited Irish laboratories - Southern Scientific Services, FBA Laboratories and Dairygold Analytical Services Laboratory, while independent quality assurance of both soil sampling and soil analysis was provided by Teagasc.

Traceability

Co-ordinators operated out of Roscrea in Co Tipperary, ensuring that all soil samples were received within a 72-hour turnaround from field to laboratory.

Each sample was tagged with a barcode and matched to the farmer’s land parcel (LPIS), ensuring full traceability from farm to lab. All soil samples were then delivered to one of the three approved laboratories operated.

The results of the nationwide soil sampling and analysis programme will help inform future Government policy decisions to reduce emissions in Irish agriculture and also help farmers make informed decisions around soil health, fertiliser application and soil carbon monitoring.

Group CEO of FRS Co-op Colin Donnery said: “As part of our growth strategy in FRS Co-op, we are combining our extensive expertise in people and technology to offer bespoke and innovative solutions for large-scale projects across multiple sectors and disciplines.

“The nationwide soil sampling and analysis programme is a perfect example of that expertise in action, where FRS Co-op managed the ISEC expert group to co-ordinate and roll out a nationwide soil sampling programme.

"From a standing start, our delivery teams designed a custom technology platform for the collection and analysis of soil sample data from over 10,500 Irish farms, while simultaneously using our expertise in people recruitment to resource a nationwide team of soil sample collectors.”