Autumn manure banned

[nelly55]

ok so my cattle muck can’t go anywhere and like others have said is this the end of livestock farming.Well to me it works both ways are they to ban sewage works then,because let’s look at it this way it’s waste ,it has drugs in it and it pollutes.

 

[BenB]

Does anyone have a link to the 'Q&A' which has been referred to?

 

[Hindsight]

ok so my cattle muck can’t go anywhere and like others have said is this the end of livestock farming.Well to me it works both ways are they to ban sewage works then,because let’s look at it this way it’s waste ,it has drugs in it and it pollutes.

Water companies can if they wish send to landfill. Will explain to the public that this action is to improve the environment by not polluting water and add the extra cost to supply invoices. Simples.

 

[czechmate]

ok so my cattle muck can’t go anywhere and like others have said is this the end of livestock farming.Well to me it works both ways are they to ban sewage works then,because let’s look at it this way it’s waste ,it has drugs in it and it pollutes.

You can spread it on your grass in the spring?

 

[teslacoils]

I look forward to the day when the top water pollutant is from female contraceptive pills and hrt, and young women are told they have to use alternatives; those will menstrual issues and menopause are told it's a fact of life and to live with it, as water quality directives come first.

Of course, there's not a cat in hell's chance that the general publics lifestyle choices can be criticised for anything at all. Ever.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Water companies can if they wish send to landfill. Will explain to the public that this action is to improve the environment by not polluting water and add the extra cost to supply invoices. Simples.

Despite that being an absolute car crash in a nutrient cycling, circular economy context and encouraging yet more methane generating from landfill......

Many water companies are now investing in on-site AD plants to extract bio-methane from their sludge, either for power generation or to inject direct into the mains gas grid. They are still left with the digestate to dispose of though and the ecological soundness of the whole scheme collapses if that final product is just landfilled.

So much "silo mentality" going on at the moment.

 

[czechmate]

Well, around here a lot of people are working on the same basis as you and we're about to find out what they come up with - unless the politicos U turn, which has been known...

I heard an EU AG' minister interviewed a few weeks ago - I think Dutch or Danish, probably Danish because it was a bloke - and he was dead keen on seeing the whole of the EU knock slurry use right back - I guess he must be a popular fellow somewhere...? But I can't see the French, for obvious socio-political reasons, making your life too difficult in reality, regardless of what may be required on paper.

My response to nelly gave my own answer. I could just spread my muck on my grass. Growing cereals would be my problem, cereals are only 25% of oûr area. I suppose I would try and continue with bought in P and K for a while but I’m sure my soil here wouldn’t yield for long without the muck. I could rotate more grass with cereal. All more costs of course

 

[Hindsight]

Despite that being an absolute car crash in a nutrient cycling, circular economy context and encouraging yet more methane generating from landfill......

Many water companies are now investing in on-site AD plants to extract bio-methane from their sludge, either for power generation or to inject direct into the mains gas grid. They are still left with the digestate to dispose of though and the ecological soundness of the whole scheme collapses if that final product is just landfilled.

So much "silo mentality" going on at the moment.

Hi, yes, I meant the digestate. I was also being facetious. But knowing how the system works it would not surprise me. The difficulty is large scale intensive livestock - primarily monogastric. To produce cheapest animals has led to large sites and specialisation in specific geographic areas. And this has finally come home to roost. Similar to letting houses be built in flood plains then wondering whey they flood and then being forced to fight nature to protect those houses as they have a monetary value to the owners. All mad. Hey ho.

 

[lloyd]

We all knew it was coming and anyone
farming in a NVZ has to record and justify
their actions at the moment so it isn't much
more than levelling up the whole country.
On a positive slant more Grant's should be available
towards covered muck stores.

 

[Secret Agronomist]

I look forward to the day when the top water pollutant is from female contraceptive pills and hrt, and young women are told they have to use alternatives; those will menstrual issues and menopause are told it's a fact of life and to live with it, as water quality directives come first.

Of course, there's not a cat in hell's chance that the general publics lifestyle choices can be criticised for anything at all. Ever.

I'll leave it to you to tell them then!

 

[Hindsight]

We all knew it was coming and anyone
farming in a NVZ has to record and justify
their actions at the moment so it isn't much
more than levelling up the whole country.
On a positive slant more Grant's should be available
towards covered muck stores.

The introduction of a Phosphate restriction is the 'elephant in the room' This will if policed fully by EA have potential to create more disruption to the UK monogastric livestock industry than anything else. hey ho.

 

[nelly55]

No because the EA forgets to open lock gates and grassland can flood at any time

 

[AlfM]

http://www.npa-uk.org.uk/hres/EA QA

link to Q and A above which someone else on here can take credit for if they wish as I couldn’t find it until sent it

 

[AlfM]

Does anyone have a link to the 'Q&A' which has been referred to?

Above this post

 

[Hindsight]

http://www.npa-uk.org.uk/hres/EA QA

link to Q and A above which someone else on here can take credit for if they wish as I couldn’t find it until sent it

Thank you - I hunted until eventually sent an email request to the EA contacts email. Disappointed the EA not made it easier to find!!

 

[lloyd]

The introduction of a Phosphate restriction is the 'elephant in the room' This will if policed fully by EA have potential to create more disruption to the UK monogastric livestock industry than anything else. hey ho.

I dont farm humans,poultry or pigs but yes these polluters
probably have the biggest problem.

 

[Michael S]

From the EA QA paper:

"16. Applying solid FYM in the spring when growing cereal crops is not very practical.

Organic manure can be applied in the autumn provided there is a soil and crop need or would not give rise to a significant risk of diffuse pollution. Provided the amount of readily available nitrogen in organic manure is low enough not to cause nitrate-nitrogen pollution, then it can be applied."

So as I stated previously providing you don't have high indices and can demonstrate low N leaching FYM is OK in the autumn.

 

[teslacoils]

I'll leave it to you to tell them then!

Will leave it to the politicians. No "low hanging fruit" IE farmer bashing left now.

 

[AlfM]

From the EA QA paper:

"16. Applying solid FYM in the spring when growing cereal crops is not very practical.

Organic manure can be applied in the autumn provided there is a soil and crop need or would not give rise to a significant risk of diffuse pollution. Provided the amount of readily available nitrogen in organic manure is low enough not to cause nitrate-nitrogen pollution, then it can be applied."

So as I stated previously providing you don't have high indices and can demonstrate low N leaching FYM is OK in the autumn.

but doesn’t point 22 (I think) contradict that saying they have decided there is no autumn crop need for winter cereals?

 

[Hindsight]

From the EA QA paper:

"16. Applying solid FYM in the spring when growing cereal crops is not very practical.

Organic manure can be applied in the autumn provided there is a soil and crop need or would not give rise to a significant risk of diffuse pollution. Provided the amount of readily available nitrogen in organic manure is low enough not to cause nitrate-nitrogen pollution, then it can be applied."

So as I stated previously providing you don't have high indices and can demonstrate low N leaching FYM is OK in the autumn.

Read further on think you will find the Q&A states no crop need for autumn sown cereals under conventional, minimal or direct drill tillage.

Like you I think the EA and Defra are targeting Poultry manures and slurries with sewage sludge caught as well. FYM is not their target - but crop need is the achilles heel. I found the more I read these Q&A the more contorted the EA position. Hardly surprising. The phosphate restriction brought in by stealth is the killer.