As our thoughts turn to the back end of the year, it’s time to consider spreading fertiliser and organic manure. This is particularly important for those farmers within the Dumfries and Galloway Nitrate Vulnerable Zone as there are limitations to what can be spread.
Owen Farm Services
Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) Update
Scotland has 5 designated zones that have been highlighted as areas of land that drain into waters that could be at risk from agricultural nitrates. Dumfries and Galloway have one of these Zones within Lower Nithsdale.
Maps of these areas can be found here
Residential dwellings in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) remain largely unaffected by the rules as they relate to agricultural holdings however, those people with private water supplies are advised to speak to the local authority.
Key Things To Know
It is a requirement for farms within the NVZ to maintain accurate records.
Farms can only spread 250kg of Nitrogen per hectare per year (N/ha/year) to any individual field within an NVZ including nitrogen from organic sources which should be limited to 170kg N/ha/year (averaged over the area of your farm) without a derogation.
In some instances, a derogation can be applied for if you are a livestock or grassland farmer to increase your farm limit to 250Kg N/ha/year from livestock manure. These are reviewed on a yearly basis and need to be considered at the start of the year.
Important Dates
Annual limits are calculated between 19th December one year to 18th December the following.
3 weeks should be kept between each application of livestock manure.
Closed Periods
You must not apply any chemical nitrogen fertilisers from:
- 15 September to 15 February to any grassland
- 1 September to 15 February to non-grassland
Soil type is important for spreading organic manure as it defines the close periods for organic manure.
On sandy or shallow soils you must not apply organic manure with high available nitrogen content between:
- 1 September and 31 December to grassland
- 1 August and 31 December to land that is not grassland. (However, you can apply it up to 15 September if the land is sown with a cereal crop before that date, or 30 September if it is sown with oil seed rape, a catch crop or a cover crop before that date.)
On any other type of soil, you must not apply organic manure with high available nitrogen content between:
- 15 October and 31 January to grassland
- 1 October and 31 January to land which is not grassland
Please contact us for more information if you are not sure of which dates apply to your farm.
Further details on Nitrate Vulnerable Zones can be found here
Product Feature
Harnessing Omnia platform by Hutchinson’s to create and manage NVZ records for our clients. This system meets the full compliance requirement, holds all the data available for the fields in one place and links to the Soil Optix, soil scanning service.
Other News
Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS)
The Scottish Government has announced that a new grant scheme will be launched on 7th September. The scheme will offer funding of up to £20,000 (at 50% rate) for farmers to purchase specific items of agricultural equipment to support them in the delivery of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions on Scottish farms. For more information please contact [email protected] or @farmadvice on social media.
Livestock Inspections
Traditionally this is the time of year for RPID to start conducting livestock inspections. COVID-19 has meant procedure may be slightly altered this year to maintain social distance to keep people safe, however, they are going ahead. Should you need help to carry out a cross check, or have any concerns please get in contact with one of the team to alleviate the fear of the unknown.
Further Information
It’s never too early to start planning for next year, we can discuss your IACS 2021 requirements now.
If you are interested in any of our services, please do get in touch for more information and pricing.
We can be reached on the phone (01461 600540), email ([email protected]), social media (@farmadvice) Facebook – Twitter
Consultant Information
Selina Scott is one of the consultants working within Owen Farm Services, she started with the company in December 2017.
With a background in compliance from working at Rural Payment and BCMS she is ideally placed to discuss your requirements to meet compliance and utilise available data for other purposes.
Owen Farm Services
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