14th January 2021 - Flipbook - Page 38
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NEWS
FARMWEEK
FEBRUARY 25 2021
Environmental Farming Scheme
agreements begin to roll out
K
INGSLEY Jordan of Annaghanoon Farm was recently informed that his
application to the Environmental Farming Scheme
(Wider) had been successful and
he wasted no time logging on to
DAERA Online Services to select the
‘accept’ button and become the rst
Tranche 4 Environmental Farming
Scheme agreement holder.
Annaghanoon
Farm,
located
out-side Waringstown in County
Armagh, is owned and run by
Kingsley and Rachel Jordan.
The beef and poultry farm is
predominantly grassland with 30
acres of winter wheat/barley and 1.5
acres of established woodland.
Four poultry houses, 100 beef
cattle purchased as weanlings
and sold as forward stores, and a
successful pedigree beef Shorthorn
herd, keep the farming couple busy.
In 2014, a new purpose-built
chicken
house
was
erected.
Extensive renovations on three
existing houses were completed
in 2019. All houses have biomass
boilers and hot water heating,
ensuring high welfare standards.
Work has recently been completed
on a new cattle house to
accommodate the growing beef
Shorthorn herd.
Kingsley joined an Environmental
Farming Business Development
Group(BDG)in2020asherecognised
the importance of improving the
HOLDER: Kingsley Jordan of Annaghanoon Farm becomes the first Tranche
4 Environmental Farming Scheme agreement holder.
environmental performance of the
farm. Environmental Farming BDGs
are a new option within the BDG
programme. Farmers from across
a range of farm types meet on a
regular basis to share experience
and learn new ways to protect and
enhance the environment.
While these events would normally take place on farm, due to
the current pandemic the group
members have adapted to a new way
of learning with online meetings
facilitated by College of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Environment
(CAFRE) Agri-Environment Adviser
Wendy George.
Farming in a way which protects
and enhances the environment has
always been important to Northern
Ireland farmers and is expected
to feature more heavily in future
government policies for agriculture.
Through the Environmental Farming BDGs, group members have
the opportunity to develop environmental plans for their farm
business. With this in mind, Kingsley
sought Wendy’s advice to help make
the best environmental plan for
his farm business, which included
applying to the Environmental
Farming Scheme.
With many main drains running
through the farm, the protection of
water quality is an important issue.
Kingsley has included the water
quality options ‘Creation of riparian
buffer – 2 metre width – ungrazed’,
and ‘10 metre width – ungrazed’
in his Environmental Farming
Scheme agreement. These options
are particularly suitable alongside
grazed grassland elds where
livestock access a watercourse to
drink or cross, and where there is
potential damage to the bankside.
Fencing controls grazing livestock
access, reducing the risk of
nutrients, sediment, manure and
pesticides entering watercourses.
The vegetated areas of land near
a water course provide a habitat
for insects, farmland birds, and
small mammals. They enhance
connectivity of wildlife corridors,
alleviate ood threat, and enhance
carbon storage.
After establishment, the riparian buffer requires minimal
maintenance as the grass remains
uncut and ungrazed. Noxious
weeds should be removed by hand
in preference to spraying.
Under the Environmental Farming
Scheme, Kingsley receives a payment to erect a stock-proof fence
and will receive a management
payment for a period of ve years,
but must retain the buffer for an
additional 10 years.
Basic Payment Scheme payments
can still be claimed on the area
within the buffer as Single Farm
Payment was claimed and paid on
the area in 2008.
Environmental Farming Scheme
agreement offers are currently
being issued to businesses. Please
ensure that you accept your
offer online within the specied
timeframe, otherwise the scheme
agreement will be cancelled.
To accept you should logon to
DAERA Online Services, using
your Government Gateway or NI
Direct logon details. Alternatively,
contact your Authorised Person
(agent) to view and accept the
Scheme Agreement on your behalf,
or contact your local DAERA Direct
ofce for further advice. Remember
to read the information sheets
carefully before accepting your
agreement.
The Business Development Group
Scheme and Technology Demonstration Farms are part funded
through the EU Rural Development
Programme.
Accounting for heavy
rainfall when planning
nitrogen applications
C
Increasing soil pH reduces
fertiliser derived N2O emissions
A
new scientic paper from Teagasc has
shown that getting soil pH right through
a liming programme can signicantly
reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a
potent greenhouse gas.
The paper from researchers at the Teagasc
Environment, Soils and Land-Use Department
in Johnstown Castle, County Wexford, has
just been published in the scientic journal
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
(AGEE). It concludes that increasing soil pH
reduces fertiliser derived N2O emissions in
intensively managed temperate grassland.
Head of the Teagasc Environment Research
Department Dr Karl Richards said: “The
paper shows that there are reduced N2O
emissions from fertiliser applied to higher
pH soils where the pH is in the recommended
agronomic range. Farmers that can improve
soil pH for agronomic benets can also reduce
N2O emissions. This represents a win-win for
the farmer and the environment.”
Soil pH is generally considered a master
variable, controlling a wide range of physical,
chemical and biological properties, including
a signicant effect on microbial processes
responsible for production and consumption
of N2O. Senior research ofcer at Johnstown
Castle, Dr David Wall, stated that “using an
existing long-term intensive grassland liming
and P trial, this research investigated the
effect of longer-term lime and P management
and their interaction on N2O emissions and
grassland productivity.”
Postdoc researcher with Teagasc, Ognjen
(Oggy) Zurovec, outlined the main ndings:
“We found that a long-term increase in soil pH
as a result of liming signicantly decreased
N2O emissions over 12-month measurement
period. In addition, keeping the soil pH and
P at the optimum level has the potential to
further reduce N2O emissions due to higher
grass N uptake through increased yields. This
means that the application of good farming
practices has considerable N2O mitigation
potential in temperate grasslands.”
The results showed that applying ve tonnes
of lime per hectare every 3-4 years increased
soil pH from 5.1 to 6.9 and reduced N2O
emissions by 39 per cent.
ROPS got off to a good
start in autumn due
to favourable establishment conditions.
However, as Natalie Wood,
right, Country Arable Agronomist at Yara, warns, higher
rainfall levels in December
and January may well have
caused issues below the
surface that you should
be aware of when planning
for rst applications of nitrogen.
“Many crops were quite
advanced heading into winter. However, the above
average rainfall levels could
mean that root systems have
taken a knock due to sitting in
wet, anaerobic conditions.”
The result of this is robust
growth on the surface
without the necessary equivalent growth beneath to
sustain it. From above, we
might think everything is
ne. Out of view, the situation
isn’t as it may seem. “We
therefore need to keep the
pre-winter momentum going
once crops start to actively
grow again in a few weeks’
time,” says Natalie.
She offered some advice on
what’s needed in light of the
weather conditions over the
last couple of months:
n Ensure all the necessary
nutrients are present
“In order to regrow that root
system fresh phosphate (P)
and potassium (K) are vital
nutrients to go with nitrogen
(N) and sulphur (S) at the
rst nitrogen application
timing. Soil-P, in particular,
doesn’t become available
until soil temperatures are
8°C and above, whereas the
crop starts growing at 4-5°C
– meaning there could be a
shortfall in the available-P.
This would be another
reason growth could be
stalled, along with the poor
root system.”
n Use the right product
“Apply an NPKS product
at the rst nitrogen timing.
This will give the crop the
vital nutrients it requires
and make them immediately
available, letting the crop
take them up quickly and
efciently while allowing
the root system to grow and
sustain the top-growth.”
n Don’t overlook sulphur
during second and third
dressings.
“For second and/or third
dressing(s), make sure you
use an NS product. We
know that sulphur should
be included with nitrogen
applications. By splitting
your sulphur across more
than one application you
will therefore get maximum
nitrogen uptake and utilisation from sulphur sufficiency.”
The recent, poor weather
conditions may have caused
some invisible setbacks below the surface, but the
challenge this creates is
beatable.
“As always, prioritise maintaining soil health and
effective nutrient management to ensure growth
remains steady both above
and below ground.
