Council reminds farmers of slurry spreading restrictions
Adam James, Agricultural Inspector with Waterford City and County Council, said that the adoption of LESS equipment for slurry spreading will reduce the negative impacts associated with slurry spreading on the environment and people in the community.
Waterford City and County Council reminds farmers that Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) equipment must be used for the application of slurry on holdings with grassland stocking rates of 100kg nitrogen per hectare or above from grazing livestock manure.
These new restrictions were brought in under the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2022, which are more commonly known as the GAP regulations.
Adam James, Agricultural Inspector with Waterford City and County Council, said that the adoption of LESS equipment for slurry spreading will reduce the negative impacts associated with slurry spreading on the environment and people in the community.
He highlighted the importance of farmers considering the ground and weather conditions to avoid the loss of valuable fertilisers.
“All farmers will want to achieve the best value for money from the use of their fertilisers. Spreading fertiliser on land prior to heavy rain or on waterlogged fields will result in the fertiliser running off into watercourses or being lost to groundwater,” Mr James said.
“This has the double whammy of the fertiliser not being available to encourage plant growth, as well as causing pollution in nearby streams and rivers.
“At this time of year, a lot of land is still quite saturated, so farmers should select land, which is dry (relatively free draining) and away from surface waters or land drains to receive slurry, if possible, and if not possible extra consideration must be given to buffer distances.” He added that the slope of fields is also a factor in fertiliser loss, including if the ground slopes steeply, factors such as surface runoff pathways, the presence of land drains, the absence of hedgerows to mitigate surface flow, soil condition and ground cover, which can all contribute to fertiliser not staying where the farmer intended.
Mr James further highlighted the importance of farmers understanding the nutrient requirements of individual parcels of land prior to the application of fertiliser.
“Farmers should work with their agricultural advisors, check their nutrient management plans or soil test results, and consider the Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) requirements before applying slurry,” he said.
“Applying excess slurry to fields does not result in better plant growth, all the extra fertiliser is just lost, either through leaching to groundwater or runoff to watercourses.” He also pointed out that leaching of fertilisers to groundwater in vulnerable areas can also affect the quality of drinking water for people with wells nearby.
“It’s important for farmers to think about the health of their families and neighbours when spreading fertiliser and to specially make sure that buffer distances to wells are maintained,” he said.
