The SOILCRATES Ireland Living Lab has officially launched its soil sampling campaign across farms participating in the FSTP programme in counties Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary.
This comprehensive sampling effort is designed to generate a detailed and multidimensional understanding of soil condition, biological activity, and overall farm health. A broad suite of indicators is being evaluated, including soil temperature, moisture levels, texture, aggregate stability, chemical composition and heavy metal content, DNA metabarcoding, dehydrogenase enzyme activity, bulk density, water holding capacity, and earthworm presence.
Together, these measurements will provide valuable insights into the variability, resilience, and quality of soils across the participating farms. The data collected will play a key role in advancing the project’s research objectives, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and informing sustainable soil management practices both within Ireland and across the wider SOILCRATES network.
Read more here.
