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Good soil health is the Foundation of Productive and Resilient Agricultural Systems

The key message from a field event being held in Teagasc Soil, Environment and Land use Research Centre in Johnstown Castle, County Wexford today, Thursday, 16 March, is that good soil health is the foundation of productive and resilient agricultural systems. The theme of the event is ‘Farming for Soil Health: Building Resilient Agricultural Systems from the Ground Up’.

Good soil health is the Foundation of Productive and Resilient Agricultural Systems
Teagasc field event held in Teagasc Soil, Environment and Land Use Research Centre in Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford today, Thursday, 16th March is that good soil health is the foundation of productive and resilient agricultural systems.

Good soil health is the Foundation of Productive and Resilient Agricultural Systems

The field day, held in association with the 3rd Global Soil Biodiversity Conference, is demonstrating the practices and technologies that can be adopted on farms to assess and enhance soil health, ensuring the resilience of our farming systems going forward. Amongst the topics that are being covered are; protecting soils from damage, increasing soil carbon and soil biodiversity, and enhancing native soil Nitrogen (N) supply. A range of demonstrations including on soil biology, mixed species swards, cover cropping, straw incorporation and dealing with compaction, are on display for the wide audience of farmers, agricultural advisors, industry professionals, scientists, agricultural students and policy makers.  The latest from the Teagasc research programme to improve soil health and environmental sustainability, while underpinning food production, is also being presented.

Officially opening the Johnstown Castle event, Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, said; “Healthy soils are amongst the most important of resources on Irish farms, and are at the heart of the sustainability and productivity of our Agri-food sector. This event represents a great opportunity to enhance our knowledge of soils and to maximise their potential. We look forward to engaging with national and international stakeholders to translate the latest scientific knowledge into management advice, and continue to work with Irish farmers towards the development of tools, indicators and management approaches that protect and enhance this valuable resource”.

Dr Fiona Brennan, Soil microbiologist at Teagasc Johnstown Castle, said; “The importance of soil health to the sustainability, resilience and functioning of our farming systems cannot be overstated. Healthy soils are really at the heart of meeting challenges around food security, climate adaptation and environmental sustainability. By promoting healthy soil, Irish agriculture can become more resilient to climate change, reduce input requirements, and reduce its environmental impact, helping to ensure the long-term viability of our food production systems. It’s important that farmers and other land managers have the knowledge and tools they need to assess soil health and manage soils in a way that safeguards and enhances soil functions”.  

Speaking at the Farming for Soil Health event Dr David Wall, Enterprise Leader at Teagasc Johnstown Castle said; “Increased understanding and knowledge of how best to monitor and manage our agricultural soils is critical for maintaining the productivity potential, and for building resilient agricultural systems in future. There are an exciting suite of technologies ready and available for implementation by farmers to monitor and enhance the health of their soils on show at this event. In addition, farmers will hear about new research and technologies that Teagasc is developing to support farmers in this journey. I would urge farmers and the wider agricultural industry to begin to assess the health status of their soils and to inform themselves of what technologies they could implement maintain and enhance soil health in the future.“