“When I was born there were 2.7 billion people in the world, and it now looks like we’ll pass 10 billion in my lifetime. If we’re going to feed everyone, we will have to keep to world’s soil humming,” Liam Woulfe told the Irish Farmers Journal when we caught up with him in the wake of the announcement that he is stepping down from his position as managing director of Grassland Agro at the end of the year.

“Soil is the one resource we have to look after. We’re looking at a massive leap forward in nutrient management.

“Gone are the days where farmers can just fire out fertilisers to get the growth they want.

“If I’m sick, I go to the doctor and get a prescription for what I need to make me better. It will be the same with soil nutrition. Farmers will test their soil for ph, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and then get their own unique fertiliser prescription for their soil health.”

Woulfe said that pH, P and K are like the engine oil for the land, with nitrogen and potash like the diesel that drives growth. “If the engine isn’t running right, then you won’t get value from the fuel you burn.”

He said that soil nutrition was going on the “big journey” that he is looking forward to hearing about and seeing, while not participating directly in.

He sees that technology is going to provide a lot of the solutions to the issues with soil nutrition, allowing the maximum yield to be achieved from every acre with the goal of doing more with less.

“Looking after the environment is key, and that too will be helped by getting the right prescription as there should be nutrients wasted.”

On his own future, Woulfe said that he will stay busy with the few other roles he has, and that he is leaving the leap forward in soil nutrition to the next generation.