Plan to get best use of it
Plan to get best use of it
MAFF is encouraging
livestock producers to make
better use of organic
nutrients by preparing a farm
waste management plan.
John Burns finds out why
one Devon farming family is
keen to participate
Dairy farming brothers John and Steve Davey have readily accepted an offer of free ADAS advice on preparing a farm waste management plan for their Highworthy Farm at Upper Clovelly, Devon.
They farm in one of the six river catchment areas* chosen by MAFF for a campaign to encourage farmers to make better use of the plant nutrients in manures, slurry and dirty water, thereby also reducing the risk of water pollution.
Apart from recognising the plans value in helping to identify potential savings on bought fertilisers, they expect to feel more confident about their degree of control over the farms slurry and dirty water and when they spread it.
This year they have installed an above-ground steel slurry store holding 2.2m litres (0.5m gallons) to supplement their existing concrete store which holds 1.2m litres (270,000gal).
With more storage, and the possibility of umbilical slurry spreading by contractors – faster working, less soil compaction – they feel they will be able to wait until conditions are right, both to avoid pollution and to save on fertiliser. Preparing the waste management plan will give them information and confidence to achieve those aims.
"We also feel it is better for us to sort it out ourselves than have something forced on us by someone who doesnt know our farm and its practical problems," says Steve Davey. He felt that was a major reason why 63 people had attended a meeting at which the scheme for their area – the catchment for the rivers Waldon and Upper Torridge – was launched.
Here project officer, ADASs Jonathan Whiteley, explained how to prepare a farm waste management plan. He also emphasised the scheme was voluntary, the plans remained confidential to the farmer, and the free advice would only be available until Mar 1998.
Mr Whiteley, senior farm waste consultant, told them that where necessary A3-size farm maps would be supplied on which they could colour-code each field or part-field after deciding its risk category, and also mark ditches and watercourses, boreholes, wells and springs.
Receive a free booklet
Those attending the meeting would also receive a free booklet on how to prepare the waste management plan and MAFFs Code of Good Agricultural Practice for Water. (Booklets are available free to any farmer anywhere in England and Wales on request.**)
For those in the six catchments only, telephone help in preparing the plan would be available, and the project officer would visit each farm to check the plans and walk three to five fields to confirm that the farmer had correctly identified the risk categories.
Mr Whiteley recommended that after it had been checked by the project officer, the map should be laminated in waterproof plastic. It would be invaluable for showing contractors and farm workers where to spread and helping them avoid pollution.
Mr Whiteley emphasised that risk categories reflected a combination of slope, proximity to water, soil type, weather at the time of spreading, application rate and type of material being spread. Thus the category of very high risk did not mean slurry could never be spread on it. It meant great care had to be taken in deciding when to spread there, to ensure there was no pollution.
He also pointed out that one part of a field could be in the very high risk category – say a slope down to a stream, while another part could be less risky – for instance, a flat area at the top of the slope.
Umbilical systems had to be used thoughtfully, he said. They must not be used when land was waterlogged and slurry would simply run off, nor to apply more slurry than could be used by the grass or other crop without pollution risk. Regular soil analysis and estimation of nutrients applied in farm wastes were necessary if fertiliser savings were to be achieved without losing output.
Whenever slurry had been spread by any method, drain outlets and watercourses should be checked for signs of pollution, he advised.
*The other five areas are the whole or parts of the catchments of the rivers Leith, Lowther, and Lyvennet in Cumbria, the Hull Headwaters in Humberside, the river Dane in Cheshire, the rivers Onny and Corve in Shropshire, and the rivers Isle, Fivehead and Yarty in Somerset.
**Free copies of Farm Waste Management Plan from Mr R Evans, Environmental Protection Division, Room 139, MAFF, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR. (0171-2385665). Free Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Air, Water, and Soil from MAFF publications, London SE99 7TP. (0645-556000).
Dairy producers Steve (left) and John Davey seek advice on preparing a waste management plan from ADAS adviser Jonathan Whiteley (centre).
MAKING A WASTE PLAN
Obtain and read the booklets referred to. Then:
1) Identify how much land is available for spreading manures, and where manures should not be spread.
2) Identify any restrictions on spreading.
3) Work out the minimum land area needed for spreading.
4) Will sewage sludge or other organic wastes be brought on to the farm?
5) Work out storage requirements for slurry and dirty water.