Nitrogen and Phosphorus Supplement

Transcription

1 CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE Prevention of Environmental Pollution From Agricultural Activity Nitrogen and Phosphorus Supplement SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE Making it work together

2 This Nitrogen and Phosphorus Supplement to the Code of Good Practice on Prevention of Environmental Pollution From Agricultural Activity has been prepared by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department with the assistance from the Scottish Agricultural Pollution Group (whose membership comprises of SERAD, SAC, SEPA). This Supplement was laid before the Scottish Parliament in May 2001

3 CONTENTS Page Nitrogen and Phosphorus Introduction 1 Nitrate 4 Mandatory Measures in NVZs 6 Voluntary Measures 9 Phosphorus 11 Organic Farming 11 Bibliography 12 Appendix (x) 13 Appendix (y) X Crown copyright 2001

4 NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS Introduction The Nitrogen and Phosphorus Supplement amalgamates guidance contained in Sections 5 and 6 of the 1997 edition of the Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity (16) Code. By bringing together these sections, the supplement clarifies and identifies measures which farmers are legally obliged to follow in addition to adopting good agricultural practices in the use of nitrogen and phosphorus. The combined sections does not introduce additional measures. The 16 Code is largely concerned with offering guidance on measures that will prevent pollution of water and those sections have a statutory base under Section 51(1) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (as amended by the Water Act 1989). Section 51(2) requires the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to take account of whether there has been or is likely to be a contravention of an approved code of practice when considering when and how to exercise their powers. The Code serves a further purpose in meeting the requirements of the EC Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). The Nitrates Directive requires Member States to introduce a Code of Good Agricultural Practice to control nitrate loss that all farmers should adopt on a voluntary basis. One of the difficulties in the current Code is that the mandatory measures are not explicitly set out. This Supplement gives the Agricultural Industry greater clarity on what is required from them. All farmers should follow the guidance set out in paragraphs 9 to 24 of the Supplement to comply with good agricultural practice. However for farmers operating within areas that have been designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) they must implement the measures contained in paragraphs 9 to 24 as well as adhering to the requirements of the Action Programme Regulations relevant to their area. Paragraphs 25 to 36 provide further guidance on steps that can be taken by all farmers to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching. To summarise, all measures printed or highlighted in red are mandatory measures for farmers operating within NVZs. The measures printed or highlighted in green are recommended measures for all farmers and others engaged in agricultural activity. 1

5 The steps highlighted in red in the "DO" and "DON'T" sections below are mandatory for farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and are required to be followed as part of the NVZ Action Programme Regulations. Further voluntary guidance on steps which can be taken in particular circumstances are shown overleaf in green. A mix of regulatory and voluntary measures is therefore available to reduce losses of nitrate depending on the situation. MANDATORY FOR FARMERS IN NITRATE VULNERABLE ZONES (NVZs) DO (This is mandatory) Comply with the statutory requirements of the Action Programme Regulations if you are farming within an NVZ. Ensure that minimum storage requirements for livestock manure are provided for the purposes of NVZ Action Programme Regulations. Locate any field midden at least 10 metres away from any clean surface water or field drain or watercourse and at least 50 metres from any spring, well or borehole. Ensure that adequate records are kept for land within NVZs relating to livestock numbers, use of inorganic fertiliser, and use of organic manures. Take account of local environmental factors before applying nitrogen fertilisers. Apply nitrogen fertilisers in as accurate and uniform a manner as possible, consistent with good agricultural practice. Keep records in accordance with SERAD NVZ Guidelines. Comply with the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations DON'T (This is mandatory) Apply chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) within closed periods in NVZ Action Programme Regulations, unless there is a specific crop requirement. Apply chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) in a location or manner which makes it likely that the fertiliser will directly enter a watercourse. Apply organic manure where the application would result in the total nitrogen (in kilograms) contained in organic manure exceeding permitted rates in NVZ Action Programme Regulations. Apply slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge to sandy or shallow soils within closed periods in NVZ Action Programme Regulations. DON'T APPLY NITROGEN FERTILISERS (This is mandatory) In excess of crop requirements. To any land if the soil is waterlogged. If the land is flooded. If the soil has been frozen for 12 hours or longer in the preceding 24 hours. To any land covered with snow. To steeply sloping fields. 2

6 The steps highlighted in green below are recommended for all farmers and should be implemented to minimise the risk of environmental pollution from agricultural activities. RECOMMENDED FOR ALL FARMERS DO (This is voluntary) Sow winter cereals in time to establish a suitable crop cover in the autumn to winter period. Locate any field midden, or fertiliser storage site at least 10 metres away from any clean surface water or field drain or watercourse and at least 50 metres from any spring, well or borehole. Take account of local environmental factors before applying nitrogen fertilisers. Apply fertilisers only when soil conditions are suitable. Apply nitrogen fertilisers in as accurate and uniform a manner as possible. Spread organic manures at least 10 metres away from any clean surface water or field drain, watercourses, and 50 metres from springs, wells or boreholes that supply water for human consumption or use in dairies. DON'T (This is voluntary) Allow livestock to have direct access to watercourses, if possible. Plough up permanent pasture, if possible. Apply chemical fertilisers in a location or manner which makes it likely that the fertiliser will directly enter a watercourse. Over-compact soil. DON'T APPLY NITROGEN FERTILISERS (This is voluntary) In excess of crop requirements. To any land if the soil is waterlogged or if heavy rain is forecast. If the land is flooded. If the soil has been frozen for 12 hours or longer in the preceding 24 hours. To any land covered with snow. To steeply sloping fields. Apply nitrogen fertilisers only when there is a specific crop requirement. MANDATORY FOR ALL FARMERS Comply with the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations

7 NITRATE What is nitrate? 1. Nitrate occurs naturally in soil and is an essential plant nutrient. Sources of organic and inorganic nitrogen are used in agriculture to improve soil fertility and promote crop growth. Chemical fertilisers (containing nitrogen) usually contain nitrogen in the form of ammonium and nitrate. Nitrate is very soluble and is therefore at risk of being washed into watercourses and groundwater by leaching from the soil, especially in late autumn and early winter when soil may be bare or there is little crop uptake. Subsequent rainfall readily washes nitrate from the soil profile. The main sources and losses of nitrate to water are shown below: FERTILISERS CROPS & GRASS LIVESTOCK ORGANIC NITRATE MANURES INORGANIC NITRATE (NITRATE AND AMMONIUM) NITRATE LOSS TO WATERCOURSES AND GROUNDWATER See Appendix (x) for a detailed nitrogen cycle diagram which also includes nitrogen losses to air. The terms used in this section for slurry, livestock manure, nitrogen fertiliser, chemical fertiliser, organic manures, crop requirement, autumn sown crop and fertiliser and manure plan are as defined in Action Programme Regulations and are given in the Glossary at Appendix (y). 2. There is a high risk of water pollution from nitrate losses if livestock manures and slurries with a high proportion of their nitrogen content in soluble form (e.g. slurry and poultry manures) are applied when crop uptake is low or non-existent (i.e. in the autumn or winter period). Typical leaching losses of available nitrogen from a slurry application are: Time of application Typical losses of available nitrogen (%) Autumn 90% Early Winter 60% Late Winter 30% Spring and Summer 0% Nitrate leaching from applications of farmyard manure, which contains most of its nitrogen in organic rather than an immediately soluble form, is far less likely, making the timing of the spreading operation less critical. Why is nitrate important? 3. Nitrate concentration in rivers and groundwaters has been increasing in recent decades in many areas of Scotland. This is a cause for concern for two main reasons. Firstly, because of possible risks to human health posed by high levels of nitrate in drinking water. Secondly, elevated levels of nitrate are considered to be significant contributors to eutrophication (see definition of eutrophic below). Agricultural land is the main source of nitrate in many rivers and groundwaters. *Eutrophic means the enrichment of water by nitrogen compounds, causing an accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of plant life to produce an undesirable disturbance to the balance of organisms present in the water and to the quality of the water. 4

8 Which legislation must be complied with? 4. The Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 1992 are concerned with the quality of water supplied from private supplies in Scotland for drinking, washing or cooking or for food production purposes. These Regulations establish a maximum admissible nitrate concentration in water of 50 mg/l and are implemented by the Local Authorities. 5. The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution (Scotland) Regulations 1996 transposes into Scots law the requirements of EC Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). The Regulations which were amended by the Designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2000 place a duty on the Scottish Ministers to identify and designate NVZs where surface freshwaters or groundwaters exceed, or could exceed, 50 mg/litre of nitrates and where waters are, or may become, eutrophic. The Scottish Ministers also have a duty to introduce mandatory action programme measures in NVZs with the aim of reducing water pollution from agricultural nitrates. The Scottish Ministers designate NVZs based on advice from SEPA who monitor for nitrate in over 250 rivers and at 150 groundwater points throughout Scotland. The action programme may be different for each NVZ or parts of NVZs and as such, this section only gives a broad outline of requirements. Further details are available in the individual action programme for each NVZ. 6. Farms at which slurry is produced are subject to the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (Scotland) Regulations Drainage from middens is included within the definition of slurry, whereas the solid manure itself is not. Such drainage is therefore covered by the Regulations and must be suitably collected and stored prior to land spreading. For new, substantially enlarged or substantially reconstructed slurry storage systems, the Regulations require the provision of six months storage capacity for the farm as a whole. SEPA may accept a lesser period of storage but only where it can be demonstrated by a professionally prepared Farm Waste Management Plan (FWMP) that this will not cause harm to the environment or lead to a significant risk of pollution of controlled waters. 7. Section 30F(1) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (as amended) makes it an offence to cause or knowingly permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter or any solid waste matter to enter any controlled waters. Farmers or their contractors may be liable to prosecution if livestock slurry or manure is allowed to enter a watercourse. What can I do? 8. This section of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice covers the steps which can be taken to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching and is recommended to be followed by all farmers. The steps described in paragraphs 9-24, are mandatory for farmers in NVZs. Further guidance on steps, which can be taken in particular circumstances, is shown in paragraph

9 MANDATORY MEASURES IN NVZs 9. Nitrogen fertilisers shall not be applied to land in excess of crop requirements, taking into account crop uptake and soil supply from soil organic matter, crop residues and organic manures. This rule requires that an assessment is made of the amount of nitrogen fertiliser required by each crop on each field each year. In doing so, full allowance should be made for the nitrogen available from soil organic matter, previous crop residues and from applications of organic manures. The land application of nitrogen fertilisers should take account of local environmental factors such as the influence of soil conditions, type and slope, climatic conditions, rainfall and irrigation and land use and agricultural practices, including crop rotation systems. Further sources of guidance from authoritative sources on this topic are listed in the bibliography at the end of this chapter. 10. Chemical fertilisers (containing nitrogen) shall not be applied to land between 15th September and 20th February in the case of grassland; and 1st September and 20th February in the case of other land unless there is a specific crop requirement during that time. These dates may differ between NVZs. Nitrogen applied during this closed period is not generally required by crops and, if applied, is poorly utilised and at greater risk of leaching. Avoiding application of chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) during this period can therefore save costs. 11. Nitrogen fertilisers should be applied to land in as accurate and uniform a manner as is practically possible, at the right rate, and without applying it to uncropped areas, hedges and ditches. This is consistent with good agricultural practice. All spreading equipment should therefore be tested regularly for accuracy of spreading and calibrated for the application rate required. 12. Nitrogen fertilisers shall not be applied to any land if: the soil is waterlogged; the land is flooded; the soil has been frozen for 12 hours or longer in the preceding 24 hours; or the land is covered with snow. Application may be acceptable on days when early morning frost is predicted to thaw during the day provided heavy rain is not forecast and other requirements of the Action Programme Regulations are met. Similar precautions should be taken with organic manures, especially slurries. It is important to ensure that the soil does not become compacted as a result of making such applications on frost (see paragraph 33). 6

10 13. Nitrogen fertilisers should not be applied to steep slopes. The risk of run-off increases with slope. The legislation does not define a "steeply sloping field" in terms of the angle of slope due to the complexity of landscape features and the fact that run-off is also influenced by other factors such as soil type and condition, ground cover and rainfall. In general, fields in the steeply sloping category are unlikely to be cultivated. Proximity to watercourses should also be taken into account due to the risk of causing water pollution by run-off from sloping land. 14. Nitrogen fertilisers must be spread accurately on the cropped area without any direct contamination of any watercourse. Care must be taken to avoid direct contamination when spreading nitrogen fertiliser alongside streams, ditches, lochs with running or standing water. Direct application to temporarily dry ditches and blind ditches must also be prevented. Full width spreading machines should present few problems. Spinning disc and oscillating spout machines need careful operation. If appropriate, they should be fitted with headland deflector plates. Organic manures 15. On sandy or shallow soils, slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge shall not be applied within closed periods specified in NVZ Action Programme Regulations. 16. The capacity of storage vessels for livestock manure shall exceed the capacity required to store livestock manure produced throughout the longest period during which land application of livestock manure is prohibited by closed periods in NVZ Action Programme Regulations. Paragraph 6 refers to the requirements of the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations 1991 and the need to consult SEPA about how to comply with the legal requirements. In order for the FWMP to be accepted by SEPA, it must be demonstrated that any livestock manure in excess of the storage capacity will be utilised in a manner which will not cause harm to the environment. 17. Organic manure shall not be applied to land where the application would result in the total nitrogen (in kilograms) contained in organic manure exceeding 250 kg/ha of total nitrogen each year averaged over the area of grassland on the farm. 210 kg/ha of total nitrogen each year averaged over the area of the farm not in grass (170 kg/ha after 20th December 2002). These limits apply to all organic manures, including that deposited by animals whilst grazing, and to all the agricultural land on the farm within the NVZ boundary. They include all other nitrogen-containing organic wastes such as sewage sludge but do not include chemical fertiliser. 18. Where there is insufficient land on the farm to spread organic manures within the total nitrogen limits, either the number of livestock should be reduced or arrangements will need to be made to utilise any excess on other farmland in accordance with good agricultural practice. 7

11 19. Applications of organic manure to individual fields must not exceed 250 kg/ha per year of total nitrogen, excluding any deposited by animals whilst occupying the field. This field limit applies in addition to, and in combination with, the overall farm limit. This approach allows some flexibility to adjust application rates according to crop nutrient requirements and field conditions. The area of the field used to calculate the 250 kg/ha limit should exclude any areas where manures should not be spread, such as the 10 metre exclusion zone from any watercourse. 20. Organic manure shall not be applied to any land less than 10 metres from a watercourse. This includes rivers and lochs and any temporarily dry ditches. Leafy vegetable residues 21. Vegetable crop residues should be incorporated into the soil when an autumn sown crop is established. Alternatively, the residues should be incorporated into the soil with a binding material such as straw or an appropriate paper mill sludge before 1st October or left untouched until 1st December at the earliest. Records 22. All farms must keep adequate records relating to: livestock numbers; use of inorganic fertilisers; and use of organic manures. as to meet statutory requirements (see bibliography at end of this chapter). The enforcing authority for the Action Programme Regulations in Scotland is the Scottish Executive, Agricultural Staff. Fertiliser and Manure Plan 23. Records of the amount and date of applications of chemical fertilisers (containing nitrogen), livestock manures and slurries and other organic wastes will help with future calculations of nitrogen fertiliser requirements. Such records should form part of the Fertiliser and Manure Plan for the farm. A Fertiliser and Manure Plan will help ensure that fertiliser use is cost effective and that nitrate leaching is low. Guidance on how to prepare a Fertiliser and Manure Plan is given in the Scottish Executive NVZ Guidelines (see Bibliography). Soil sampling should be carried out at least once every 4 to 5 years to ensure that soil ph, phosphate and potash levels are at the optimum level. This will significantly improve the targeting and use of fertilisers whilst at the same time helping to minimise the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus to rivers, lochs and groundwater. 24. Organic manures containing only small amounts of their nitrogen in forms that are easily converted to nitrate, such as farmyard manure and sewage sludge cake, may be applied according to the Fertiliser and Manure Plan. Scottish Executive guidance is available for farmers in NVZs and this details how to keep such records so 8

12 VOLUNTARY MEASURES Organic manures 25. To help protect the quality of groundwater, organic manures should not be applied within 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole that supplies water for human consumption, or which is to be used in farm dairies. This is a minimum distance and may need to be increased in the case of boreholes depending on local conditions. Permanent pasture 26. Avoid ploughing up of permanent pastures, if possible, due to the flush of nitrate which can continue for several years after such action. If the permanent pasture is to be cropped or re-seeded, account should be taken of the nitrate release in calculating the fertiliser applications for the subsequent crop. If permanent pasture is to be re-seeded it is important to ensure that a full crop cover is established as quickly as possible, by early October at the latest. Green cover 27. Early sowing of winter cereals encourages more of the residual nitrate to be utilised by the newly established crops thereby reducing the potential for losses. Winter crops sown in late October/November will have little effect in reducing the amount of nitrate lost in the winter. A better strategy in arable areas, where growth of winter cereals is slow, is to grow spring cereals with the land remaining in stubble in winter as long as possible. This is particularly relevant to the Scottish climate and growing conditions. 28. If possible, a cover or catch crop, such as Italian Ryegrass, should be sown in fields that would otherwise be bare over the autumn and winter period. 29. Leave cereal stubbles, straw and non-cereal and vegetable crop residues uncultivated over the winter to minimise nitrate leaching. Run-off from rutted or compacted ground can be a particular problem for some rotations, including potatoes and vegetables. The use of buffer strips can assist in reducing the impacts of soil erosion and nutrient losses. Grazing 30. Where intensive grazing is practised, up to 90% of the nitrogen is returned to the land as excreta and urine resulting in high soil concentrations of available N. The loss of nitrate from the grassland through leaching may therefore be high, if intensively grazed by cattle throughout the autumn. 31. In order to prevent soil erosion and direct contamination of watercourses, livestock should, where possible, not have direct access to watercourses. 9

13 Chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) 32. Chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) should not be applied to grassland until the spring, close to the time when the nitrogen is needed for grass growth, and only then if soil and weather conditions are suitable. Heavy rainfall immediately following application can result in most of the value of the nitrogen fertiliser being lost through run-off. T-sums, which are usually made available in the farming press, provide a good guide to when nitrogen should be applied to grassland. The system is based on air temperature with the mean temperature from 1st January being added together (ignoring temperatures below 0 C). When the accumulated temperatures reach the sum of 200, this is considered to be the optimum time to apply nitrogen to maximise early grass yields. For arable crops, chemical fertiliser (containing nitrogen) should be applied at the start of periods of rapid crop growth and nitrogen uptake. Fertiliser applications should only be made when soil and weather conditions are suitable. Soil conditions 33. The risk of run-off and losses of nitrogen is increased in compacted soil. Physical damage to soils also reduces the rate of nitrogen uptake by the crop. This damage can to some extent be avoided by reducing the number of field operations particularly when the soil is vulnerable to damage (e.g. when wet, after frost, etc.). Low pressure tyres can be a mixed blessing in that they limit compaction but may encourage field access in conditions which are really not suitable. Fertiliser storage and handling 34. Fertiliser stores should be sited well away from any clean surface water drain, watercourse, spring, well or borehole. Bye-laws for the protection of public water supply sources may impose specific restrictions on using or storing fertilisers within a stated distance from the source. Storage containers for liquid fertilisers should be capable of being locked, be suitably constructed for the intended purpose, watertight and treated with a protective coating resistant to corrosion from the contents. 35. Handling procedures for filling stores from road tankers and for transferring liquid fertilisers to the spreader should be such that the risks of accidental spillage are minimised. Tanks should not be overfilled and allowances made for expansion of the contents. Operators should be aware of these procedures, the potential pollution problems arising from spillage, and of the emergency procedures to be followed. Buffer zones 36. Leave, where possible, uncultivated strips of land adjoining watercourses and other sensitive habitats (e.g. wetlands, botanically rich pastures, etc.). These area can act as a buffer between the land under cultivation and the valuable habitat. Take into account natural heritage and conservation issues. 10

14 PHOSPHORUS 37. Phosphorus can contribute to eutrophication of still or slow moving freshwaters. Although wastewater from sewage treatment works provides the main input in many catchments, agricultural land can also be a significant source of phosphorus input to watercourses. 38. Phosphorus from agriculture can reach watercourses in various forms and by various routes. Their relative importance will depend on the particular catchment. The main losses are: surface run-off, particularly of recently spread animal manures; erosion of soil particles; particulate and dissolved phosphorus in water flowing from land drains. Phosphorus can also be leached to groundwater. 39. You can minimise the risk of phosphorus from fertilisers and organic manures reaching a watercourse by following the good practice guidance given in the section for nitrate (Paragraphs 9-36 above). 40. The amount of phosphorus lost by erosion, leaching or drain flow will largely depend on the soil phosphorus level. The higher the soil phosphorus level, the greater the potential loss. To minimise losses, you should not apply amounts of phosphorus fertiliser in excess of those recommended by an authoritative source (see bibliography). Regular soil sampling and analysis is recommended as described in paragraph 23 above. ORGANIC FARMING 41. While organic farming does not use inorganic fertilisers, there are still risks of nitrate leaching due to organic manure use, grazing and ploughing in of grass and crop residues. The mandatory measures contained in NVZ Action Programmes given in paragraphs 9-24 must be complied with for organic farming. The further guidance to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses given in paragraphs is also appropriate for organic farming. Water Framework Directive 42. The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EEC) has now been agreed and under it, a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme is to be implemented to protect and improve the water environment in Scotland. This Directive will dovetail with the requirements of those Directives that are not repealed by it, such as the EC Nitrates Directive. The Framework Directive will establish a system of river basin management, consider controls over abstraction of water and identify measures to deal with diffuse pollution. Primary legislation will be required to transpose the Directives' requirements into Scots law by By 2009, river basin management plans and programmes of measures require to be established and these measures are to be fully operational by The aim is to meet the environmental objectives by

15 BIBLIOGRAPHY SAC Fertiliser Series No. 1 Introduction. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 2 Using the recommendation tables. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 3 Recommendations for grass/clover establishment. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 4 Recommendations for grazing and conservation. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 5 Recommendations for cereals-nitrogen. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 6 Recommendations for cereals Phosphate and potassium. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 7 Recommendations for potatoes. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 8 Recommendations for Oilseed rape. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 9 Recommendations for forage crops. SAC Fertiliser Series No. 14 Fertiliser allowances for Manures and slurries. SERAD-Guidelines for Farmers in NVZs SERAD-Manure Planning in NVZs SERAD-Record keeping, including preparation of Fertiliser and Manure Plans SNH, WWF, FWAG, SEPA, SAC Farming and Watercourse Management A Code of Good Practice Handbook. 12

16 NITROUS OXIDE N2O DENITRIFICATION BY BACTERIA NITRITE N02 - NITRATE N03 - AMMONIA NH3 ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS NITROGEN N2 Ingestion BIOLOGICAL FIXATION BY BACTERIA ASSIMILATION BY PLANTS AND MICRO-ORGANISMS Death, decay and excretion Farm manure AMMONIFICATION BY BACTERIA NITRITE N02 - AMMONIUM NH4 + Excess N03 available for leaching to ground and surface waters - APPENDIX (x) TERRESTRIAL PART OF NITROGEN CYCLE from plants and products of excretion NITRIFICATION BY BACTERIA Extract from: Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 19th Report Sustainable Use of Soils

17 APPENDIX (y) Glossary of Terms Chemical fertiliser Crop requirement Farmyard manure Farm Waste Management Plan (FWMP) Fertiliser Fertiliser and Manure Plan Any nitrogen fertiliser which is manufactured by an industrial process. The amount of nitrogen fertiliser which it is reasonable to apply to land in any year having regard to the foreseeable nitrogen requirement of the crop growing or to be grown on the land and the nitrogen supply to the crop from the soil and from other sources, including any previous applications of livestock and other organic manures. A mixture of livestock manure and bedding material which can be stored as a solid and which is not capable of being pumped as a semi-solid or liquid. A plan, often professionally prepared, to investigate the collection, storage and land application of livestock slurries, animal manures and other farm effluents such as dairy washings, silage effluent, drainage from draff pits etc. Any substance containing a nitrogen compound or nitrogen compounds utilised on land to enhance growth of vegetation; it may include livestock manure, the residues from fish farms and sewage sludge. A plan to assess the crop requirement for nitrogen fertiliser for each crop on each field each year and to establish the quantities of waste produced and safe methods of collection, storage and land-application. 14

18 Field middens Livestock manure Local environmental factors Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) Nitrogen compound Nitrogen fertiliser Organic manure Slurry Temporary storage of solid and stackable farmyard manure in a field prior to spreading. Waste products excreted by livestock or a mixture of litter and waste products excreted by livestock, even in processed form. This includes factors such as soil conditions, soil type, slope, climatic conditions, rainfall and irrigation, land use and agricultural practices, including crop rotation systems. An area of land identified and designated by Scottish Ministers which drain into waters which are affected by nitrate pollution and waters which could be affected by such pollution. Any nitrogen-containing substance except for gaseous molecular nitrogen. Any substance containing a nitrogen compound utilised on land to enhance growth of vegetation. Livestock manure or nitrogen fertiliser. Excreta, including any liquid fraction, produced by livestock whilst in a yard or building; or a mixture consisting wholly of or containing such excreta, bedding, feed residues, rainwater and washings from a building or yard used by livestock, dungsteads or middens, high-level slatted buildings and weeping wall structures, or any combination of these, provided such excreta is present. Designed and produced on behalf of the Scottish Executive by Astron B