With the volume of opening and closing dates associated with farming-related tasks and keeping track of the key looming deadlines for farm management tasks such as spreading fertiliser, slurry and dung can often be a challenge.
The opening date for the hedge cutting season was Sunday, September 1 and will close on Friday, February 28 (2025).
Tranche four of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme III (TAMS 3) closed for applications yesterday, Friday, September 6, 2024 and Tranche 5 will close on Friday, December 6, 2024.
Farmers participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) suckler scheme, are required to complete a mandatory online training course before November 15, 2024.
Closing dates for fertiliser, slurry and dung
The prohibited period for the application of chemical fertilisers for all zones commences on Sunday, September 15.
For organic fertilisers (excluding farm yard manure (FYM)) such as slurry, the prohibited application period for all zones begins on Tuesday, October 1.
For FYM or dung, the prohibited application period for all zones begins on Friday, November 1.
The table below outlines the prohibited periods for spreading both chemical and organic fertilisers to land:
As the table above indicates, farmers may be eligible to spread slurry up to October 15 of any given year where pre-defined scientific criteria is met.
This has not yet been determined for this year, so farmers should assume the closing date as being October 1.
Soiled water
This year (2024), the closed period for spreading soiled water will begin on December 1, with the exception of winter milk suppliers.
Next year, in 2025, the closed period for soiled water is from December 1 to December 31, for all milk suppliers.
Soiled water is defined as water that has been collected from the milking parlour, collecting yards, unroofed temporary holding yards, washing beet or machinery, and runoff from silage bases.
It includes water from concreted areas, hardstanding areas, holding areas for livestock, and other farmyard areas, where such water is contaminated by contact with any of the following:
- Livestock faeces, urine or silage effluent;
- Chemical fertilisers;
- Washings such as vegetable washings, milking parlour washings or washings from mushroom houses;
- Water used in washing farm equipment.
Within the regulations, soiled water does not include any liquid with a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) exceeding 2,500mg/L, or a dry matter (DM) content exceeding 1% (10 g/L).
If it is stored together with slurry, it is considered slurry for the purpose of the regulation – and is therefore subject to the same storage and management requirements.