The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021

PART 5 Closed periods for spreading nitrogen fertiliser

Meaning of “organic manure with high readily available nitrogen”

17.  In this Part, “organic manure with high readily available nitrogen” means organic manure in which more than 30 % of the total nitrogen content is available to the crop at the time of spreading.

Closed periods for spreading organic manure with high readily available nitrogen

18.  Subject to regulations 19 and 20, no person may spread organic manure with high readily available nitrogen on land between the following dates, all inclusive (“the closed period”)—

The closed period

Soil Type	Grassland	Tillage land
Sandy or shallow soil	1 September to 31 December	1 August to 31 December
All other soils	15 October to 15 January	1 October to 31 January

Exemptions: crops sown before 15 September

19.  Spreading organic manure with high readily available nitrogen on tillage land with sandy or shallow soil is permitted between 1 August and 15 September inclusive provided that the crop is sown on or before 15 September.

Exemptions for organic holdings

20.  An occupier of a holding who has submitted his or her undertaking to the control system referred to in Article 27 of Council Regulation (EC) 834/2007(1) may spread organic manure with high readily available nitrogen at any time on—

(a) crops listed in the table in Schedule 4 (permitted crops for the closed period), or

(b) other crops in accordance with written advice from a person who is a member of the Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme(2),

provided that each hectare on which organic manure is spread does not receive more than 150 kg total nitrogen between the start of the closed period and the end of February.

Restrictions following the closed period

21.  From the end of the closed period until the end of February—

(a) the maximum amount of slurry that may be spread at any one time is 30 cubic metres per hectare and the maximum amount of poultry manure that may be spread at any one time is 8 tonnes per hectare, and

(b) there must be at least three weeks between each spreading.

Times in which spreading manufactured nitrogen fertiliser is prohibited

22.—(1) No person may spread manufactured nitrogen fertiliser on land during the following periods (all dates inclusive)—

(a) in the case of grassland, from 15 September to 15 January, or

(b) in the case of tillage land, from 1 September to 15 January.

(2) Spreading fertiliser during these periods is permitted on the crops specified in the Table in Schedule 4, provided that the maximum rate in column 2 is not exceeded.

(3) Spreading during those periods on crops not in Schedule 4 is permitted on the basis of written advice from a person who is a member of the Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme.

(1)

EUR 834/2007, as amended by S.I. 2019/693 and 831.

(2)

The scheme is administered by Basis Registration Ltd, and a list of qualified persons is available from them on request or at their website, www.basis-reg.com.