N max crappery

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
I am just about to start my most hated task of the year - N Max calculations.

I wouldn't mind but I have never, ever been within 40 kg per ha of the max even once in all the years that we have had to complete this stupid, academic, impractical, unnecessary and over complicated piece of bureaucratic nonsense.

When will the red tape cutters bury this piece of idiocy?

Or does everyone else enjoy doing this?
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Ssshhhhhh, they might cut the limit if they hear of all these people not using their maximum!

Exactly. UK rivers are still over the 50 mg/litre nitrate limit so in time when the EU Nitrates Directive time limit expires we'll have the NMax reduced. Look at Holland and Denmark to see how they get on with nitrate regulation impacting on how they farm.

@Niels @Serup

I don't enjoy doing this but with Gatekeeper (or PLANET) it's a doddle.
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
Exactly. UK rivers are still over the 50 mg/litre nitrate limit so in time when the EU Nitrates Directive time limit expires we'll have the NMax reduced. Look at Holland and Denmark to see how they get on with nitrate regulation impacting on how they farm.

@Niels @Serup

I don't enjoy doing this but with Gatekeeper (or PLANET) it's a doddle.
I remember you being a fan of planet, I hate that too.
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
As far as I know the rule is that you mustn't exceed NMax. You don't have to do the calculation to prove it. If your sure you're no where near it then don't bother.
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
As far as I know the rule is that you mustn't exceed NMax. You don't have to do the calculation to prove it. If your sure you're no where near it then don't bother.
I am pretty sure that you must complete the calculations before you even look at the spreader in the Spring.

In fact in leaflet 6 Annex 1, page 7 it says 'Make the assessment before each application of manufactured nitrogen fertiliser.'

The real killer for me though As I am all grass, is the guessing how much rain we will have for the rest of the season - page 5 - ''if it [the crop] is grass, the intended management - cut or grazing' (in fact from RB209 a lot more complex than that) How will I know now?

Also guessing how many animals will be grazing each field, when, how much cake they will have, how many Kg of beef or lamb are produced per Ha per month, how many calves will be born, cows die etc.

Add to that work out how many sows I will have each month, ditto weaners, growers and fatteners and the percentage occupancy of each of my buildings, whether it will be dry enough to spread FYM on my fields this year, how much I will; export, where that will go?

Then calculate all that with half the farm in an NVZ and half out and you have a recipe for a lot of frustration
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
I am pretty sure that you must complete the calculations before you even look at the spreader in the Spring.

In fact in leaflet 6 Annex 1, page 7 it says 'Make the assessment before each application of manufactured nitrogen fertiliser.'

The real killer for me though As I am all grass, is the guessing how much rain we will have for the rest of the season - page 5 - ''if it [the crop] is grass, the intended management - cut or grazing' (in fact from RB209 a lot more complex than that) How will I know now?

Also guessing how many animals will be grazing each field, when, how much cake they will have, how many Kg of beef or lamb are produced per Ha per month, how many calves will be born, cows die etc.

Add to that work out how many sows I will have each month, ditto weaners, growers and fatteners and the percentage occupancy of each of my buildings, whether it will be dry enough to spread FYM on my fields this year, how much I will; export, where that will go?

Then calculate all that with half the farm in an NVZ and half out and you have a recipe for a lot of frustration
Well I'll admit to having done a few NVZ inspections. One thing we DO NOT look for is NMax calculations. Just make sure you don't exceed them. I'm FACTS qualified and it surprised me that we don't check this. For a grassland livestock farm just make sure you've done your livestock limit calculation, recorded all your organic and non organic manure fert applications, recorded your 4 step plan and recorded any manure imports or exports. Not exactly simple but if you're thinking about it you're way ahead of half the farmers I've inspected anyway;)
 

Fuzzy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
As far as I know the rule is that you mustn't exceed NMax. You don't have to do the calculation to prove it. If your sure you're no where near it then don't bother.
The N max limit applies to the average nitrogen application rate for that crop type across your farm. In other words, you may apply fertilisers at a rate higher than N max to some fields provided that on other fields of the same crop the loading is low enough to ensure the average is at or below the N max limit.
If your field records demonstrate that the nitrogen application rate to each field
growing a particular crop type is lower than the N max limit for that crop type, then
you can be confident that you have complied with the N max limit and do not need
to complete the full calculation
 
Last edited:

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
The N max limit applies to the average nitrogen application rate for that crop type across your farm. In other words, you may apply fertilisers at a rate higher than N max to some fields provided that on other fields of the same crop the loading is low enough to ensure the average is at or below the N max limit.
Yes I know this. What's your point?
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
I only worked ours out for the first time for an NVZ inspection last year.

Come no where near the limit.

Total waste of time,justifying pen pushers jobs.(n)
As said, if you're sure you're nowhere near the limit, then don't bother doing the calculation. You're not required to show it.
 

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