Slurry can be a “valuable source of nutrients” but poor management of slurry is a “significant threat” to water quality farmers in the north have been warned today (Wednesday, January 10).
Aveen McMullan, senior technologist with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in Northern Ireland, said that good management of slurry is needed to “maximise nutrient use efficiency, ensure productive grass growth and minimise losses of nutrients to the environment”.
But she also warned that farmers who are not managing slurry correctly could pose a significant threat to water quality.
Slurry
The end of the closed period for spreading slurry is approaching and from February 1, farmers in Northern Ireland are able to spread manure “providing environmental conditions are suitable”.
This month CAFRE will host slurry management open days at its Greenmount Campus and on a dairy farm near Banbridge for farmers and agricultural contractors.
At the events CAFRE technologists and advisers will deliver practical workshops and demonstrations with a “focus on optimising nutrient management practices” for the incoming season which they believe will help to ensure “economic and environmental benefits” for farmers and their farms.
McMullan will look at the nutrient value of organic manures and share at the events how the nutrients in slurry can be used to achieve improved grass growth.
There will also be opportunities for farmers and agricultural contractors to learn about nutrient management planning in practice using real farm situations and hear further details about the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme maps that will become available to landowners in Northern Ireland as the scheme progresses.
Water quality
During the events there will be time set aside to focus on water quality and Rachel Cassidy, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) catchment scientist will share the findings of ongoing catchment based research and real-time water quality monitoring results.
Meanwhile Gareth Greer, from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) will deliver an overview of water quality status in Northern Ireland and review the factors contributing to water quality issues.
Farmers and agricultural contractors will also get the chance to hear about a recent project aimed at developing models for processing livestock slurry to “reduce surplus phosphorus” within Northern Ireland agriculture.
The first slurry management open day will take place at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus on Tuesday, January 16 and Ian McClelland will host the next open day on his farm in Banbridge on Tuesday, January 30.