Protecting Our Watercourses
Kildare County Council issues guidance to Tillage Farmers
Kildare County Council is notifying tillage farmers of several changes to the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water Regulations 2022, as amended, that will affect tillage farming in County Kildare.
Low emission spreading shall now be used to apply livestock manure to arable land. Alternatively, the livestock manure shall be incorporated in the land within 24 hours of spreading. Additionally, the spreading of pig slurry shall be done using low emission methods only.
Ploughing and cultivating for non-grassland crops cannot take place within 3m of watercourses that are identified on the OSI mapping (modern 1:5,000 scale 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, sugar beet, main crop potatoes and maize and excludes cereal crops and beans.
For further information visit – https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9563-rural-environment-sustainability-nitrates/
