When And Where To Apply
Alan Galbraith, Countryside Management Branch, DARD
The Nitrates and Phosphorus Regulations require that organic and chemical fertilisers applied outside the closed spreading period be applied only when soil conditions are favourable. They must also be applied a specified minimum distance from waterways and groundwater features such boreholes, wells and springs. Adherence to these two key measures ensures that nitrogen and phosphorus is taken up by plants instead of being lost through leaching or run-off.
Unfavourable conditions
Organic and chemical fertilisers should not be applied when:
- soil is waterlogged. This is when water appears on the surface of the land when pressure is added ; or
- land is flooded or likely to flood; or
- soil has been frozen for 12 hours or longer in the preceding 24 hours; or
- land is snow covered; or
- heavy rain is forecast within the next 48 hours; or
- where land is steeply sloping with an average incline of 20 percent or more and where other factors such as waterways, soil conditions, ground cover and rainfall presents a significant risk of water pollution occurring.
Distances from waterways
Organic manures must not be spread closer than;
- 20 metres of lakes;
- 50 metres of a borehole, spring or well; or
- 250 metres of a borehole used for a public water supply; or
- 15 metres of exposed cavernous or karstified limestone features (such as swallow-holes and collapse features); or
- 10 metres of any other waterway, which includes open areas of water, open field drains or any drain which has been backfilled to the surface with permeable material such as stone/aggregate. However this may be reduced to three metres, provided the land has an average incline less than 10 percent towards a waterway, and:
the organic manures are spread by bandspreaders, trailing shoe, trailing hose or soil injection; or
the field is less than 1 hectare in size or not more than 50 metres in width.
Chemical fertiliser must not be spread closer than 1.5m of a waterway.
Guidance Booklet
The Guidance Booklet, which will contain the full detail of the Nitrates and Phosphorus Regulations will be posted to all farmers in early 2007
