The Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2003

16.—(1) Where any land on a farm has been used in any year to produce a leafy vegetable crop–

(a) any further cultivation of that land prior to 1st December of that year shall be for autumn sown crops only;

(b) any preparation of that land for a spring crop shall not commence before 1st December of that year; and

(c) any unharvested residues of that crop shall be–

(i) removed from the nitrate vulnerable zone;

(ii) left in field and incorporated into the soil during cultivation for autumn sown crops;

(iii) by 1st October of that year, incorporated in field with a suitable binding material; or

(iv) left in field and incorporated into the soil during cultivation for the next spring sown crop.

(2) In paragraph (1) above–

“leafy vegetable crop” means a crop whose leaves or flowers are marketed as–

(a)

compact or loose vegetative organs; or

(b)

immature flowers;

“unharvested residues” of a leafy vegetable crop includes discarded stems and leaves and rejected vegetables; and

“a suitable binding material” means a cellulose-based binding material which shall have a carbon to nitrogen ratio exceeding 50:1.