Kildare County Council Issues Advice to Tillage Farmers
14 March 2025: Kildare County Council reminds Tillage Farmers of the requirements of the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water Regulations 2022, as amended.
Starting January 1st 2025, the use of low emission slurry spreading (LESS) methods, such as trailing shoe and dribble bar has become compulsory for the application of slurry on holdings with grassland stocking rates of 100kg N/ha from grazing livestock manure. This requirement also applies prior to export of livestock manure from the holding. The use of LESS is also required for pig slurry applications and where livestock manure is being applied to arable land, unless the livestock manure is incorporated into soil within 24 hours after application.
Applying slurry using LESS equipment can reduce ammonia emissions by 30-60% compared to the traditional splash plate method by applying slurry more precisely and closer to the ground, significantly minimising the risk of nutrient runoff into rivers, lakes and groundwater. This practice is expected to play a significant role in meeting Irish agriculture’s emissions reduction targets.
Ploughing or cultivating for non-grassland crops is prohibited within 3m of watercourses that are identified on the modern 1:5,000 scale Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) mapping or better.
For late harvested crops, a minimum uncultivated buffer of 6m shall be put in place to protect any intersecting watercourses. Late harvested crops include vegetable crops harvested after 15th September, as well as fodder beet, sugar beet, main crop potatoes and maize and excludes cereal crops and beans.
For further details, visit:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9563-rural-environment-sustainability-nitrates/
