Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 14, is the last day for farmers to spread chemical fertiliser before the annual closed period comes into effect on Wednesday, September 15.
As of September 15, farmers will be prohibited from spreading chemical fertiliser on their lands under the rules of the Nitrates Directive.
The closed period will remain enforced until January 12, in the southeast, January 15, in the midlands and west and January 31, in northern counties.
Farmers have until Friday, October 15, to spread slurry on their land while the closed period for farmyard manure starts on Monday, November 1.
Slurry, farmyard manure and chemical fertilisers are prohibited from being spread over the winter in Ireland in order to comply with the EU’s Nitrates Directive.
The aim of the closed period is to protect ground and surface water, including drinking water.
The regulations also prohibit the spreading of slurry at any time of the year when the ground is frozen or waterlogged – or when heavy rain is forecast – in order to prevent slurry running off into waterways.
Autumn grass
A chemical Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) strategy is an important management factor that affects the availability of grass this autumn.
Midnight, on September 14, is the deadline for the spreading of chemical N and P for the year.
As we enter into autumn, soil temperatures will gradually decrease, reducing the effectiveness of chemical N.
Nitrogen
While the amount of chemical N applied depends on a number of variable factors, 20kg of N/ha should be a sufficient application.
This rate can be reduced in fields that contain high amounts of clover, or fields that you are planning to spread dirty water or slurry on.
Along with boosting growth for the remainder of 2021, chemical N spread now will also help to provide grass for grazing in early spring 2022.