Teagasc is confirming that significant amendments to the nitrates regulations, relating to green cover on tillage ground, have been agreed.
Prior to the amendment, the regulation stated that shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop must take place within seven days of baling of straw post-harvest.
Moreover, where straw is chopped, the shallow cultivation or sowing a crop must take place within seven days of harvest.
In all circumstances, shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop must take place within 14 days of harvesting.
However, in certain weather conditions, the relevant government ministers may advise when these criteria, should not apply, as per the Nitrates Action Programme
So much for the background; in light of further analysis and discussions at industry level, amendments to requirements around shallow cultivation of land post-harvest have been agreed.
Nitrates – shallow cultivation
Shallow cultivation or the sowing of a crop post-harvest is now only required in counties: Carlow; Cork; Dublin; Kildare; Kilkenny; Laois; Louth; Meath; Offaly; Tipperary; Waterford; Westmeath; Wexford; and Wicklow.
Where shallow cultivation is required, a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 25% of cereal land on each holding must not be subject to shallow cultivation to preserve food sources for farmland birds.
The original seven-day requirement has been extended to 10 days to provide additional flexibility for farmers. Shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop is now required within 10 days of baling/chopping of straw post-harvest.
Where shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop is required, it must still take place within 14 days of harvesting (apart from where weather dictates the requirement should not apply).
To address certain problematical weed species (bromes and blackgrass), soil consolidation will be allowed as an alternative to shallow cultivation in limited circumstances.
In addition, the amendment exempts the need for shallow cultivation in the following cases:
- Where the farmer is certified organic;
- Where root crops or late harvested crops have been harvested (crops typically not harvested before late September);
- Where a cereal crop or beans has been harvested after September 15 or where a cereal crop has been undersown with another crop;
- Where a winter cereal crop, oilseed rape or beans are due to be sown on the land by October 31;
- Where the land is destined for use by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) later that year or in the first two months of the following year and the farmer has documentary evidence to support this.