Slurry spreading: Can farmers use a splash plate this year?

The government has made a number of changes to slurry spreading rules and regulations on farms across the three zones in Ireland.

The past number of years have seen more farmers and contractors invest in Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) equipment as its use has become mandatory for many.

A document titled: ‘European Union Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 Statutory Instruments S.I No. 113 of 2022‘, outlines the new rules on slurry spreading which are coming into effect.

According to the document, LESS equipment must be used for the application of slurry on holdings with grassland stocking rates of:

• 150kg nitrogen (N)/ha from grazing livestock manure or above prior to export of livestock manure from the holding from January 1, 2023;
• Slurry produced by pigs on any holding from January 1, 2023;
• 130kg N/ha from grazing livestock manure or above prior to export of livestock manure from the holding from January 1, 2024;
• 100kg N/ha from grazing livestock manure or above prior to export of livestock manure from the holding from January 1, 2025;
• From January 1, 2023, LESS shall be used to apply livestock manure to arable land or the livestock manure shall be incorporated within 24 hours.

The document also includes details on circumstances when organic and chemical fertilisers, as well as soiled water, should not be spread.

Organic and chemical fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land in any of the following circumstances:

• The land is waterlogged;
• The land is flooded or likely to flood;
• The land is snow-covered or frozen;
• Heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours (regard to weather forecasts issued by Met Éireann);
• The ground slopes steeply and there is a risk of water pollution having regard to factors such as surface runoff pathways, the presence of land drains, the absence of hedgerows to mitigate surface flow, soil condition and ground cover.

Furthermore, an additional list of circumstances and methods in which organic fertilisers and soiled water cannot be applied to land are also included in the document.

Organic fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land by use of:

• An umbilical system with an upward-facing splashplate;
• A tanker with an upward-facing splashplate;
• A sludge irrigator mounted on a tanker.

The document also states that organic fertilisers or soiled water should not be applied to land from a road or passageway adjacent to the land, irrespective of whether or not the road or passageway is within or outside the curtilage of the holding.

Slurry spreading dates

The table below outlines the permitted spreading dates for organic fertilisers (including slurry) and farmyard manures in 2023:

The following list is a breakdown if the counties in each zone:

• Zone A: Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow;
• Zone B: Clare, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath;
• Zone C: Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Leitrim.

However, pre-defined criteria for the application of slurry up to October 15, has been made available by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) – see link below.

Where these criteria are met, farmers may be eligible to spread slurry up to October 15, of that year, according to the DAFM.