No one likes filling in forms and, given the chance, most of us leave it until the last minute. That’s what has happened in the past with the NVZ grassland derogation – in England, the deadline for application for a derogation in 2012 is 31st December 2011 so there’s no excuse for putting things off. If you make a mistake in the submission, there will be an opportunity to correct it so long as the deadline has not passed; another reason to get it done as early as possible.
This derogation relaxes the livestock manure farm limit from 170 kg N/ha up to 250 kg N/ha but it must be applied for every year and there are conditions. To start with at least 80% of the farm must be classed as grassland. All the usual NVZ rules must be complied with and there are some extras relating to use of both nitrogen and phosphate. This might seem a bit of an imposition but the rules require only good practices that should be followed anyway out of self-interest. Good nutrient management is the key to farm profit – this should be in large capitals on every farm desk. Time spent on decisions about nutrient applications and on record keeping is never wasted.
Getting off the soapbox and back to the derogation requirements, soil sampling for phosphorus must be done at least once every four years and results used in assessing fertiliser application - the annual cost works out at a few pence per hectare. Then, in England, a ‘fertiliser account’ must be drawn up and submitted by 30th April 2012. This needs to show the areas of main arable crops and grass, the numbers and types of livestock kept and the amounts of nitrogen and phosphate in the manure they produce, the amounts and nitrogen and phosphates contents of any manures imported to, or exported from, the farm and the amounts and nitrogen and phosphate contents of fertiliser stocks on 1st January and 31st December and of fertilisers imported to, or exported from, the farm. Similar information is needed in Scotland. For England, there is a fact sheet at the EA web site at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/sectors/97324.aspx and for Scotland, there is guidance at www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/278281/0092630.pdf. All this information should be available by early January and you need it anyway just to manage nutrient use properly. Failure to submit the fertiliser information on time could lead to your derogation being withdrawn. There’s also the future to think about – there is no guarantee that the derogation will be available after 2012 so best be prepared for life without it.
There are some changes to NVZ rules from 1st January 2012. The minimum specified slurry storage capacity must be in place and the values for crop available N in manures you must use in calculating Nmax are increased for slurries and poultry manures. This is to encourage application of manures in spring when there is a smaller risk of leaching but it means a narrow window to get the manures applied. In England, Nmax for grass falls from 330 kg N/ha to 300 kg N/ha. The main thing in NVZs is to keep records and the more organised they are the better. They’re not just a bureaucratic necessity; they help retain your experience in managing nutrients.
Ian has over 30 years experience in fertilizer use and crop nutrition. He now runs his own consultancy, Ecopt, involved in all aspects of nutrient management, including provision of the FACTS technical information service and he is also a member of the steering groups for revision of RB209 in 1999 and the Fertiliser Manual from 2007.
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