With slurry storage facilities filling up on many farms around the country, some farmers will be anxiously awaiting the end of the closed period, when they will be permitted to spread slurry.
The end of the closed period is not essentially a ‘green light’ for farmers to go out spreading slurry, and weather conditions should be looking favourable before slurry spreading goes ahead.
The opening date for spreading slurry will depend on the county that the farm is located in.
Counties in the Republic of Ireland are split into three zones: zone A, zone B and zone C.
The counties in each of the three zones are as follows:
Farmers in Zone A will be permitted to spread organic fertiliser (both slurry and farm yard manure) from Saturday, January 13, of this year.
Farmers in Zone B will be permitted to spread organic fertilisers from Tuesday, January 16.
Finally, farmers in Zone C will be permitted to spread organic fertiliser from Thursday, February 1.
The table below outlines the storage periods for cattle manure and the prohibited periods for spreading both chemical and organic fertilisers to land:
As the table above indicates, farmers in Zone A will be permitted to spread chemical fertiliser from Saturday, January 27 of this year.
Farmers in Zone B will be permitted to spread chemical fertiliser from Tuesday, January 30, of this year.
Farmers in Zone C will be permitted to spread chemical fertiliser from Thursday, February 15, of this year.
Soiled water
As reported by Agriland earlier this week, the closed period for spreading soiled water has now ended. The closed period was in place from December 10 until December 31, 2023. Farmers are now permitted to spread soiled water, once conditions are suitable.
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.