Fertiliser allowances for forage crops and buffer rules

Tables 1 and 2 show the total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) allowances for maize and beet. If you apply organic manures ahead of these crops, then be sure to take the N, P and K amounts from the slurry out of this allowance and make sure that you are not over your limits on your nutrient management plan.

Cattle slurry with a dry matter content of 6% is valued at 9-5-32 for N, P and K.

Boron is essential for beet crops and should be included in the compound fertiliser applied. Crops will also benefit from sulphur and magnesium. On high pH soils look out for manganese deficiency or on soils with a known deficiency.

Buffers

When planting a late-harvested crop, the Department outlines after 15 September as this date, then you must implement a buffer zone of 6m beside a watercourse to comply with nitrates rules. This is double the size of the normal buffer zone. This zone cannot be planted with your beet or maize.

Buffer zones around forage crops which are to be grazed still apply. This is for conditionality or cross compliance rules. A 3m buffer is required around all crops. This buffer must be around the whole perimeter of the field and should be grass or natural regeneration from cultivating stubbles.

Beside a watercourse the buffer should be 4m and on a farm with a stocking rate of over 170kg/ha there should be a fence 1.5m from the top of the bank.

You must also provide a lie-back where animals are grazing these crops.

A total of 30% of the area for grazing should be in grass or regenerated stubble which was cultivated. The remainder can be in the forage crop like rape or stubble turnips.