An analysis of land potential for grazing in Ireland with particular reference to farm size relationships

Abstract

While much research has been carried out on the role of soil survey in the application of agricultural technology to farming, its possible utility as a basis for systematizing statistics on farm size has not been investigated. Against the above background, the objectives of the present study are to (1) examine the extent of major land units in Ireland with particular reference to regional variation (2) evaluate the productivity of the lowland soils for livestock production, (3) examine the relationship (if any) between holding size and soil association, (4) investigate the number of holdings on each soil association that have a capacity to support selected stocking targets, (5) investigate the reduction in holdings which would be necessary on each soil association to create units capable of suppoitmg the selected stocking target, assuming that holdings below the stocking target were restructured to bring them up to the selected target while those above it were assumed to remain unchanged.