New rules to protect the water environment
New rules for water came into force on April 2 making it mandatory for all farmers in England to maintain good practice to protect water quality and prevent water pollution incidents.
Many farmers and growers are already doing what they can to protect their water environment and prevent diffuse pollution but the main change is that they now must soil test at least very five years.
Applications of manure and fertilisers must now be based on soil tests to meet crop and soil needs and these soil tests results for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium must be no more than five years old at the time of application.
The rules apply to all farmers in England regardless of whether they are in an NVZ or environment scheme and as well as covering the planning of fertiliser applications they cover pollution risk assessment, fertiliser and manure storage, fertiliser application; livestock management; planting, harvesting and soil management.
The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 in brief:
Assess pollution risk - Take into account risk of runoff and soil erosion from factors such as angle of slopes, amount of ground cover, distance from watercourses, soil type and condition, land drains.
Planning manure or fertiliser applications - You must plan each application of manure or fertiliser on your land in terms of how you are applying it, the weather conditions and how much fertiliser to use so you don’t use more than needed.
Applying fertiliser - You mustn’t apply fertiliser on waterlogged, flooded or snow covered soil; when the soil has been frozen for more than 12 hours in the past 24 hours; within two metres of inland freshwaters, coastal waters, a spring, well or borehole or if there’s risk of pollution.
Check your spreading equipment is calibrated and doesn’t leak, work manure or fertiliser into the soil within 12 hours or as soon as possible after applying and check the organic matter content and moisture level in your soil.
Storing manure - You must not store manure within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters or within 50m of a spring, well or bore hole
Planting, harvesting and soil management - Take precautions to reduce the risk of pollution when: creating farm tracks or gateways; establishing seedbeds, polytunnels or tramlines; cleaning out ditches; installing drainage or irrigation; irrigating crops; spraying crops
Manage livestock - Make sure you prevent livestock compacting soil by poaching within five metres of an inland freshwater or coastal water. Don’t place livestock feeders within 10m from inland freshwaters or coastal waters, within 50m of a spring, well or borehole or where there’s a significant risk of pollution
The Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing these rules through its farm inspections work. If there’s already pollution or a high risk of pollution, the Environment Agency may take enforcement action including prosecution.
Vicky Price is a chartered surveyor with Berrys.
