Slurry season begins next week
Editorial Department • Published 26 Jan 2012 13:00
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The official start of the slurry spreading season opens next Wednesday, February 1 but only if the conditions are favourable.
Even though the closed period ends at midnight on 31 January, it is important to remember that no organic or chemical fertilisers can be applied on land which is frozen or snow covered, waterlogged, flooded, liable to flood or when heavy rain is forecast. Applications of slurry also cannot be made on steep slopes where a risk of water pollution exists. A steep slope is one that has an average incline of 20 percent or more on grassland, or an average incline of 15 percent or more on all other land.
Since January 2009 all farmers must have a minimum livestock storage capacity of at least 26 weeks for pig and poultry enterprises and 22 weeks for all other enterprises. This storage capacity will allow farmers to have sufficient storage for the closed spreading period and also provide flexibility if conditions are unfavourable.
When spreading remember that organic and chemical fertilisers must be spread certain distances from waterways. Keep at least 10m from waterways when spreading slurry. This can be reduced to 3m when the field is less than 1ha in size or the slurry is applied using a band spreader or trailing shoe. Chemical fertiliser must be applied at least 2m away from watercourses.
It is important to note that the Nitrates Action Programme is a requirement of Cross Compliance. Failure to comply may result in a breach and could potentially result in the loss or reduction of the Single Farm Payment and other direct payments.
If you require further information regarding the requirements of the Nitrates Action Programme 2011-14 contact Countryside Management Delivery Branch at your local DARD office or alternatively click on www.dardni.gov.uk.s
Slurry from pig farms can also be moved now. The vast majority of pig farmers record the type and quantity of slurry exported and the name and address of who is transporting and receiving the slurry. The amount of Nitrogen (N) exported has also to be recorded. Some people find it difficult to calculate this figure. If you are one of these people the following example may help.
Example
Beef farmer draws 20,000 gallons of pig slurry from pig farmer.
To calculate how much N is exported you need to know two pieces of information.
- One cubic metre of slurry equals 220 gallons.
- The standard nitrogen (N) content of pig slurry is 4 kg per cubic metre. In other words, every cubic metre (220 gallons) of pig slurry contains, on average, 4 kg of N.
There are two steps in calculating the total N exported.
Step 1
Calculate total amount of pig slurry exported in cubic metres. In this example divide 20,000 gallons by 220 gallons. This equals 90.9 cubic metres.
Step 2
To calculate how much N is exported multiply the total slurry exported by the N content, that is, multiply 90.9 cubic metres by 4 kg N per cubic metre. This equals 364 kg of N exported.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 26 Jan 12
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