A new dashboard which traces fertiliser usage in terms of both geography and enterprise over the last 20 years has been launched by Teagasc.

The interactive dashboard offers farmers, farm advisers, researchers and policymakers detailed insights into the use of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime across Irish agriculture.

The new National Farm Survey (NFS) Fertiliser Dashboard is based on data collected through the NFS on almost 900 farms annually.

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Teagasc claimed that the dashboard provides “a comprehensive view of fertiliser and lime use and fertiliser prices in Ireland from 2005 to 2024”.

“The dashboard allows users to explore fertiliser use in aggregate and per hectare, across grassland and crop types,” a Teagasc spokesman said.

Farm type

“Users can also explore fertiliser usage by farm type and by fertiliser type, including straights and compound fertilisers. Associated fertiliser prices are also included for both straights and compounds over the 20-year period,” he added.

Teagasc claimed that the launch of this dashboard represents a key step in state agency’s commitment to “supporting sustainable nutrient management and evidence-based decision-making in Irish agriculture”.

“By providing a clear picture of historical fertiliser use and price trends, the dashboard aims to support farmers in optimising fertiliser practices to deliver both economic and environmental benefits,” the farm advisory body said.

The dashboard clearly shows price trends since 2005, and how the spike in fertiliser costs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 impacted fertiliser usage.

In addition, it illustrates how the usage of nitrogen has fallen significantly from a high in 2018.

Zone A

In Nitrates Zone A - which includes south Leinster plus Cork, Tipperary and Waterford - annual usage of nitrogen fell from 132kg/ha in 2018 to 105kg/ha last year.

The fertiliser dashboard will feed into a new NFS Sustainability Dashboard which is being launched by Teagasc next week.

The NFS Fertiliser Dashboard can be accessed by clicking here.