| Code of Good Practice for the Environment and Quality Food Production
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Apply animal manures at rates which take account of the crops requirements. The shortfall between the nutrients applied in the manure and crop requirements should be made up with
fertilisers.
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Cattle slurry should be recycled to land conserved for hay or silage at not more than 55 m3/ha (5,000 gls per acre per year )and not more than 33 m3/ha (3,000 gls per acre) in one application. Root crops can accept up to 44 m3/ha (4,000 gls per acre) in one application early in the growing season.
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Pig slurry should be applied at lower rates because of its higher phosphorus content. 27.5 m3/ha (2,500 gls per acre) may be applied for first cut silage and to root crops. 11 m3/ha (1,000
gls. per acre) per year will normally be adequate for grazing and cereals.
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Slurry should be applied when plants require the nutrients i.e. at the start or during the growing season.
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Farm Yard Manure (F.Y.M.) should be stored to minimise nutrient loss and applied to soil using Teagasc recommendations.
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Do not apply slurry when heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours.
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Do not apply slurry to soils that are saturated.
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Do not apply slurry when soils are frozen or snow covered.
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When applying slurry, avoid direct contamination of watercourses by leaving adequate buffer zones.
Streams and drains 10 meters
Lakes and rivers 20 meters
Domestic wells 50 meters
Public water sources 50 – 300 meters |
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Maintain spreading equipment in prime condition and calibrate equipment for even application.
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Minimise slurry smell and nutrient losses to air by adapting a common sense approach :-
Avail of suitable weather conditions.
Use of best practices |
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Band spreading is more environmentally friendly than splash plate.
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Soil Cover
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| Wherever possible, avoid leaving soil bare over the winter. The growing of winter crops or catch crops reduces nitrate leaching. |
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Appendix
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N = Nitrogen P = Phosphorus K = Potassium
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The
nutrient content of animal manure varies
with the dilution. The recommendations in
the Code of Good Practice relate to well
stored animal manure.
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Well
stored cattle slurry would have 7% to 8% dry
matter.
Note - 11m3 per hectare = 1,000 gallons per acre.
4.5 tonnes (4,572 kgs) of dungstead manure are the equivalent weight of 1,000 gallons of slurry.
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Guide values for the nutrient content of a range of farm slurries and manures is given below :-
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Kg/tonne (units/1000
gls) |
Kg/tonne
(units/tonne) |
| Nutrient |
Cattle Slurry |
Pig Slurry |
Dungstead Manure |
Farmyard Manure |
| N* |
5.0 (45) |
4.3 (39) |
3.5 (7) |
4.5 (9) |
| P |
0.7 (6) |
1.4 (13) |
0.9 (2) |
1.2 (2) |
| K |
5.0 (45) |
2.2 (20) |
4.0 (8) |
6.0 (12) |
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Source : Department of Agriculture and Food
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* Note all the nitrogen is not available for plant growth. Its availability can vary from 0 to 50% depending on type of manure, time and method of application. Only 25% of the nitrogen is available for spring applications. Assume no nitrogen contribution from slurry or manure applied at other times of year.
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