Agriculture
NITRATES EXPLANATORY HANDBOOK
Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations 2018
Sewage/Industrial Sludges
The use of sewage sludge is managed by Irish Water through its National Wastewater Sludge Management Plan.
The application of sewage sludge to agricultural land is controlled by local authorities through the maintenance of sludge registers and inspection/enforcement programmes.
The control of other industrial sludges (including sludge from dairy processing industry) is managed, where applicable, through IPC licences granted by the EPA.
A comprehensive understanding of the movement of sludges and the application of sludges to agricultural land is required to ensure the existing controls are fit for purpose.
During the NAP review, the Nitrates Expert Group will be working with the various stakeholders to adequately address the risk from this ever-increasing nutrient source.
The Impact of Nitrogen Management Strategies within Grass Based Dairy Systems
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) requested Teagasc to model the impact (environmental and economic) of a number of farm nitrogen mitigation measures in order to inform policy of the best current and potential actions to deliver the catchment based nitrate load reduction estimated by the EPA.
Download Publication (PDF)
The assessment was confined to nitrate losses from freely draining soils where farming intensity is greater than 130 kg N/ha/year.
The following scenarios were requested to be investigated:
- Chemical N reduction of approximately 10% and 20% i.e. chemical N application rates of 250, 225 and 200 kg/ha.
- Delaying the first chemical N application in spring from 15 January.
- Finish final chemical N application in autumn earlier than 15 September.
- Uneven distribution of chemical N fertilizer across the farm i.e. applying 300 and 350 kg N/ha on the grazing platform.
- Stocking rate reduction- 250 kg N/ha (2.74 cows/ha) versus 230 kg N/ha (2.52 cows/ha).
- High platform stocking rates- 340 kg N/ha (3.73 cows/ha) and 430 kg N/ha (4.72 cows/ha).
- Spreading slurry during the closed period- 12% and 25% of slurry spread during the month of December.
- Implementations of using precision farming to increase N use efficiency.
- Options for banding organic N excretion rates for dairy cows.
Exports of Livestock Manure
Over 4,500 farms export livestock manure to remain compliant with stocking rate limits in the regulations.
Some additional measures to control the export of livestock manure were introduced by the GAP amendment regulations (SI 40 of 2020) however the practice of exporting livestock manure is one which needs a full assessment.
The Nitrates Expert Group review of the NAP in 2019 recommended the introduction of further measures for these holdings. Many of the submission responses from the first stage consultation also highlighted the unsustainable current practices related to manure movement, and the limited controls in place.
LESS Slurry Spreading
Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) has been demonstrated to improve nutrient use efficiency while reducing atmospheric emissions of ammonia from slurry- spreading.
This method of slurry spreading is a requirement for all derogation farmers from 2020.
A number of issues were raised during the first stage consultation which will need to be considered by the Nitrates Expert Group as part of the NAP review.
These issues should be considered in the context of integrated policy responses, including ammonia reduction as a key consideration in the extent of LESS usage;
Contractors must be supported to purchase appropriate equipment.
In order to meet our ammonia targets, the proportion of slurry (calculated either at farm or national scale) that should be applied by LESS needs to be determined.
Cattle Access to Watercourses
The current regulations prevent cattle access to watercourses, effective from 1st January 2021, on farms with a grassland stocking rate of 170 kg N/ha or above.
The measure requires water courses to be fenced 1.5 meters from the top of the river bank or water’s edge as the case may be.
The 2021 consultation sought views on these requirements and should the current requirements of farms be extended and if so, to what extent.
Based on a broad review of responses, the following general points emerged;
The requirement to fence watercourses should be extended to all farms.
All watercourses identified as being at risk from agricultural pressures should be fenced within 3 years.
This measure should be reviewed in future NAPs to effectively determine its impact.
Register of chemical fertiliser sales
provide for accurate tracking of fertiliser sales and provide for a more “realistic picture” of where fertiliser is being applied to land
new register will place the responsibility on merchants to register chemical fertiliser sales against individual farmer’s herd numbers
data will be reported periodically to the department, where it will feed into analysis of farming activities generally and compliance with Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Regulations
around 2,000 nitrates-related inspections are undertaken on farms across Ireland each year by local authority and department personnel
NAP: Register of chemical fertiliser sales on the cards
Extract from An Overview of Ireland’s Fifth Nitrates Action Programme on Register of Chemical Fertiliser Sales
Siltation
Currently in Ireland there are extremely high siltation levels which are a cause for concern in respect to ecological habitats and fish spawning grounds as well as being sinks for phosphorous and other contaminants.
Based on evidence from the EPA and LAWPRO, poor practice in the drainage of rivers and land drainage have been identified as causing widespread environmental impacts.
The main sources of silt include
- poor agricultural practices (e.g. drainage, lack of buffers etc.),
- poor practices in channel maintenance,
- poorly managed operations in legacy forests and
- peat extraction / wind farms / quarrying
Suggested source control measures, such as catch crops and appropriate riparian margins, along with the development of land management plans.
Additional measures include planting of more trees, stopping access of cows and sheep into waterways and an increased protection of existing flood plains
Measures to tackle other significant issues will also deal with the issue of siltation.
Forestry and siltation
Site disturbing operations such as cultivation, road building and harvesting when combined with heavy rainfall pose a high risk of silt runoff into waterways. Great care is therefore required in carrying out these operations to ensure that the measures in the Forests and Water Guidelines are followed. Silt has the effect of smothering streambeds and decreasing oxygen levels in the water which can greatly affect the fish and micro invertebrate life and even change the structure of the physical habitat.
Further information of forests and siltation can be accessed at:
SILTFLUX Literature Review – Environmental Protection Agency
The Nitrates Expert Group
Group made up of officials from Teagasc, EPA and the Departments of Agriculture and Housing
Membership:
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – Jack Nolan, Bernard Harris
Department of Housing and Local Government – Colin Byrne and Donal Grant
Environmental Protection Agency – Jenny Deakin
Teagasc – David Wall
Secretariat -Clare Casey, Dymphna Kehoe DAFM
Note: FOI submitted (15/10/2021) on remit, any reports produced/commissioned in 2021 and minutes/agendas for 2021 meetings. Details on FOI below.
https://assets.gov.ie/98299/5d505cd6-61a9-40e6-bf20-ee9a1589ffa6.pdf
https://www.farmersjournal.ie/slurry-figures-set-to-change-in-december-646769