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–
compact or loose vegetative organs; or
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.