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Nitrates - reducing water pollution from agriculture

Help for farmers in NVZs

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Guidelines for farmers in NVZs - England -This booklet explains in detail the steps that farmers in NVZs need to take to comply with the Action Programme measures. Farmers in NVZs should have received a printed copy of this booklet through the post. Further printed copies are available from Defra publications by quoting publication code PB5505.

NVZ Manure Planning booklet - England - This booklet contains information for both arable farmers importing organic manure and livestock farmers who need to comply with the requirements of the current Action Programme measures. It provides a step by step guide on how to calculate:

  • Whether there is enough land available for spreading manure
  • If there is enough storage for slurry; and
  • The extent to which manure applications will reduce the requirement for fertiliser N.

Printed copies are available from Defra publications by quoting publication code PB5504.

Fertiliser Recommendations for Agricultural and Horticultural Crops - Defra Reference Book 209, 7th Edition, 2000 (ISBN 0 11 243058 9). This reference book describes the principles of crop nutrition and gives recommendations for the use of lime, fertilisers and organic manures for field crops and grassland grown in England and Wales.  It is currently being revised and will be replaced by a new Fertiliser Manual which will provide essential guidance and information to enable compliance with the ‘crop requirement limit’.  It is a priced publication available from Stationery Office bookshops or direct from The Stationery Office on 0870 600 5522.

Planning Land Applications of Nutrients for Efficiency and the Environment (PLANET) - PLANET is a computerised version of Defra's industry standard 'Fertiliser Recommendations (RB209)' book. It will provide farmers and advisers with a quick and easy way of obtaining RB209 recommendations for arable, horticultural or grassland crops in each field, each year, taking account of the crop nutrient requirement as well as the nutrients supplied from organic manures, soil and fertilisers. It will allow the user to develop a nutrient and manure application plan for a group of fields covering the use of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P2O5), potash (K2O), magnesium (as MgO), sulphur (as SO3), sodium (as Na2O) and lime. The plan can be modified during the season and actual applications recorded. Last year's field records together with other information will be used to generate next years RB209 recommendations. Field histories and recommendations can be printed off.

Go to www.planet4farmers.co.uk for more information about PLANET, to download a copy or to order a copy of the PLANET CD-ROM. The software will be available in late summer/autumn 2004 once pilot testing is complete (PLANET is provided and hosted for Defra under contract by ADAS).

Manure Nitrogen Evaluation Routine (MANNER) - Defra commissioned ADAS to develop a decision support system which predicts the plant availability of manure nitrogen (N) following land application. The ADAS MANNER software draws together the latest UK research information on factors affecting manure N availability to crops, and N losses via ammonia volatilisation and nitrate leaching. The MANNER software tool needs only a few inputs to run and is available free of charge via the ADAS website.

Managing Livestock Manures - Further guidance on how to integrate manure and inorganic fertiliser use to best advantage is provided in the Managing Livestock Manures booklet series.

 

Page last modified: 21 August 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs