CarbonCheck, NRM’s most sought after package, has been adopted and launched by IAS Laboratories for farmers and their advisors across Ireland. This comprehensive soil carbon testing service will help Irish farmers and growers measure, monitor, and benchmark their soil health and carbon levels to accurately assess progress on their carbon journey.

‘In the UK, over 12,000 samples have been analysed with CarbonCheck to date,’ said Rory Geldard, Commercial Manager at NRM. ‘As our most successful package, it’s been invaluable for the UK agricultural industry as it really benefits farming businesses and the environment. Like the UK, Ireland has committed to a significant reduction in emissions by the end of this decade. With IAS making CarbonCheck more readily available to Irish farmers, the business unit is helping make this goal a reality whilst providing insightful data to improve soil health in Ireland overall.’

CarbonCheck was developed last year by NRM and is now the industry standard for soil carbon analysis. It measures organic matter, inorganic carbon, C:N ratio, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total carbon as part of a comprehensive suite. These results combine to present carbon stock and organic carbon in tonnes per hectare. CarbonCheck Plus also includes active carbon for those aiming to improve soil health.

‘The Irish government is encouraging farmers to put soil carbon, soil health, and fertility at the centre of the country’s agriculture,’ said Eoin O’Brien, Head of Sales at IAS. ‘As land acts as a huge carbon sink, the agricultural industry is key in meeting Ireland’s goal of cutting down to 51% emissions by 2030, and innovative services like CarbonCheck help guide future farming activities and carbon sequestration. Ultimately, by measuring soil carbon we are helping farmers work sustainably and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere whilst improving soil health to help maintain and increase yields. We are recommending that growers benchmark their fields now, and then test again next year to monitor their progress.’

CarbonCheck results are presented in an easy-to-understand format and are straightforward to interpret. NRM and IAS provide farmers and growers with advice on interpreting their results, as well as the next steps to take to mitigate the impact of their activities, improve soil health, and potentially enter lucrative carbon markets.

‘The teams at both IAS and NRM have worked incredibly hard over the last few months to ensure that this important service is available to both UK and Irish farmers,’ said Sean Stevenson, Divisional Managing Director for Cawood Agriculture. ‘CarbonCheck is the first and most comprehensive soil carbon testing service available to these farmers, cementing our position as the UK and Ireland’s largest provider of agronomic analytical services. We are proud to be leading the way in supporting the agricultural industry as well as the sustainable future of farming and a safer, healthier planet.’

For more details on our CarbonCheck service, visit IAS’ website or contact us below.