Looks like autumn muckspreading is back on

[Grass And Grain]

Any update on rules regarding autumn muckspreading?
I'm interested cattle farmyard manure which low in N compared to other manures.

Seems as though they've agreed a clarification, but I can't yet find what that clarification is

 

[robs1]

The gov have set up a fertiliser task forces … everything gets a task force / farce

Yes but all that lovely free bulls**t they will produce should help fert issue

 

[Wombat]

Seems as though they've agreed a clarification, but I can't yet find what that clarification is

Applying the farming rules for water

www.gov.uk

some of it seems sensible like if you have index 3 on the whole farm but no where else to spread you can still do it as I read it

 

[Ffermer Bach]

sense may yet prevail

I would sincerely doubt it

 

[AndrewM]

. Environment Agency enforcement approach​

The Environment Agency will generally prioritise giving advice and guidance before taking enforcement action. They direct land managers to guidance and grants, and schemes like the Catchment Sensitive Farming partnership.

The Environment Agency may still escalate and impose civil or criminal sanctions if appropriate, in particular if advice, guidance and warning letters do not achieve the necessary changes in behaviours.

2. Applying the rules for the use of organic manure and manufactured fertiliser to agricultural land​

Unless stated otherwise all definitions and terminology in this guidance should be read in accordance with the definitions within the farming rules for water.

The Environment Agency should consider the criteria set out below when carrying out an inspection under the farming rules for water. Enforcement action should not normally be taken where land managers have met the criteria.

2.1 Planning applications of organic manures and inorganic fertilisers​

Land managers should be able to demonstrate that they have planned applications of organic manure or inorganic fertiliser in accordance with the farming rules for water. This includes for example, a nutrient management plan or other written plan.

Plans should:

• be proportionate to the needs of individual circumstances, informing decisions about applying organic manures and manufactured fertilisers
• show an assessment of the crop nutrient requirement for each cultivated land parcel that should be informed by one of the following:
  • a manual such as AHDB’s nutrient management guide (RB209)
  • farm software such as PLANET, MANNER-NPK or nutrient management tools such as those provided by Tried and Tested
  • a suitably qualified professional, such as an agronomist or FACTS adviser
• take account of the results of soil sampling and analysis
• take account of the nutrient content of the applied organic manures and manufactured fertilisers

The nutrient content of organic manure can be identified using available and suitable nutrient management tools or manure testing, such as laboratory analysis or near infra-red sensors for liquid manures.

2.2 Assessment of crop and soil need when planning​

Land managers should consider soil and crop need for nitrogen (N) based on an annual crop cycle.

Land managers should plan to avoid applying organic manures that raise the Soil Phosphorus Index (soil P index) above index level 3 or target levels for soil and crop on land (whichever is higher) over a crop rotation, unless they can demonstrate that:

• it is not reasonably practicable to do so
• they have taken all appropriate reasonable precautions to help mitigate against the risk of diffuse agricultural pollution

Examples of when it would not be reasonably practicable to do so include if a farm:

• produces and applies its own organic manure to its own land and cannot reasonably take measures to treat or manage the manure (for example, if it exports it) to avoid applications that risk raising the soil P index level of soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation
• imports organic manure as part of an integrated organic and manufactured fertiliser system and cannot reasonably import organic manures that would not risk raising the soil P index level of the soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation

2.3 Assessment of significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution when planning​

Plans should take different approaches to avoid significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution due to nitrate leaching depending on the readily available nitrogen (RAN) content of organic manures.

A low RAN organic manure has a RAN content equal to or below 30 percent. For applications of low RAN organic manure the potential nitrate leaching risk linked to application rate will not be considered significant if all appropriate reasonable precautions are taken to help mitigate against the risk of diffuse pollution. In this situation an application rate limit would not need to be enforced because of nitrate leaching risk. No more nitrogen should be applied over an annual crop cycle than the soil and crop need on that land.

A high RAN organic manure has a RAN content above 30 percent. For applications of high RAN organic manure the potential nitrate leaching risk linked to the application rate will not be considered significant if one of the following 3 criteria are met.

The application is made:

• outside the time periods set out in Table 1, in which case no application rate limit would need to be enforced because of nitrate leaching risk
• during the time periods set out in Table 1 with a single application rate limit of 30m³/ha for high RAN organic manures in general and 8t/ha for high RAN poultry organic manures — there must also be no repeat applications for at least 21 days during the restricted time periods
• during the time periods set out in Table 1 at an application rate to meet the soil and crop need of an autumn/winter commercial crop, not including conventional cover crops or green manure

In all cases, land managers must take all appropriate reasonable precautions to help mitigate against the risk of diffuse agricultural pollution.

Land managers should not apply more nitrogen over an annual crop cycle than the soil and crop need on that land.

Table 1: time periods when application rate limits apply for high RAN organic manure​

Soil type	Grassland	Tillage land
Sandy or shallow soil	1 September to the end of February	1 August to the end of February
All other soils	15 October to the end of February	1 October to the end of February

2.4 Assessment of reasonable precautions​

Land managers should plan to have established green cover by 15 October as a reasonable precaution to help prevent agricultural diffuse pollution resulting from applications to that land. Green cover means any commercial crop, green manure or cover crop. Land managers may decide on the most appropriate type of green cover, depending on their individual circumstances.

Land managers must demonstrate appropriate justifications if they are not planning for green cover to be established on land by 15 October or if they are planning to leave the land bare over winter. Appropriate justifications can be considered for agronomic or environmental reasons, such as when land managers must:

• delay drilling to enable activities to control persistent weeds, such as blackgrass
• leave medium and heavy soils to weather before a spring root crop

Land managers should incorporate organic manures into soils to act as a reasonable precaution against diffuse pollution unless there are appropriate agronomic or environmental reasons not to.

If applying low RAN organic manures, land managers may justify delaying incorporation if it is not practical to do so within 12 hours of spreading and if they have assessed relevant risk factors as not being significant over the application and incorporation period.

Circumstances where it may not be appropriate to incorporate organic manures include but are not limited to:

• if it is applied to a growing crop or grassland
• if precision application methods for manures are used which mitigate diffuse pollution as well as, or better than, incorporation

 

[Grass And Grain]

"Land managers should plan to avoid applying organic manures that raise the Soil Phosphorus Index (soil P index) above index level 3 or target levels for soil and crop on land (whichever is higher) over a crop rotation, unless they can demonstrate that:

• it is not reasonably practicable to do so
• they have taken all appropriate reasonable precautions to help mitigate against the risk of diffuse agricultural pollution

Examples of when it would not be reasonably practicable to do so include if a farm:

• produces and applies its own organic manure to its own land and cannot reasonably take measures to treat or manage the manure (for example, if it exports it) to avoid applications that risk raising the soil P index level of soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation
• imports organic manure as part of an integrated organic and manufactured fertiliser system and cannot reasonably import organic manures that would not risk raising the soil P index level of the soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation"

This is a strange one....

If soil P indexes over 3, and you produce your own FYM, you should try to take reasonable measures to export the manure. If you haven't taken reasonable efforts to export, then you're in trouble if you apply to your own land?

However, if you are importing the manure, it seems as though you can apply it to P index 3+ soils if you've imported say low P containing FYM instead of high P containing OM such as sewage cake.

Have I understood that correctly?

I might take my FYM on a little road trip. Export it, then import it back in again.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I know, I'll export my FYM to neighbour. Then import his back again

 

[AndrewM]

"Land managers should plan to avoid applying organic manures that raise the Soil Phosphorus Index (soil P index) above index level 3 or target levels for soil and crop on land (whichever is higher) over a crop rotation, unless they can demonstrate that:

• it is not reasonably practicable to do so
• they have taken all appropriate reasonable precautions to help mitigate against the risk of diffuse agricultural pollution

Examples of when it would not be reasonably practicable to do so include if a farm:

• produces and applies its own organic manure to its own land and cannot reasonably take measures to treat or manage the manure (for example, if it exports it) to avoid applications that risk raising the soil P index level of soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation
• imports organic manure as part of an integrated organic and manufactured fertiliser system and cannot reasonably import organic manures that would not risk raising the soil P index level of the soil above index level 3 or crop and soil need target levels over a crop rotation"

This is a strange one....

If soil P indexes over 3, and you produce your own FYM, you should try to take reasonable measures to export the manure. If you haven't taken reasonable efforts to export, then you're in trouble if you apply to your own land?

However, if you are importing the manure, it seems as though you can apply it to P index 3+ soils if you've imported say low P containing FYM instead of high P containing OM such as sewage cake.

Have I understood that correctly?

I might take my FYM on a little road trip. Export it, then import it back in again.

Can you apply fym to index 3 if the p would only act to maintain the index and not increase it?

 

[Grass And Grain]

Can you apply fym to index 3 if the p would only act to maintain the index and not increase it?

I would think so, if applied to crop requirements over the rotation.

Trying to get my head around this bit...

"Land managers should plan to avoid applying organic manures that raise the Soil Phosphorus Index (soil P index) above index level 3 or target levels for soil and crop on land (whichever is higher) over a crop rotation, unless they can demonstrate that:"

What if P index is 5? Above paragraph says we should plan to avoid applying manures if it would raise P index above level 3. So if it's at 5, application will not raise P levels through and past index 3, those applications will just keep index at 5.

Not in the spirit of the advice, but they are quite specific with their wording