Catchment-sensitive farming

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board discusses soil management to increase productivity as well as decrease farming’s impact on the environment. If soil structure is sub-par, then crop growth is sub-par, and soil loss will enter rivers and streams polluting the environment. For proper management of soil these steps are necessary to take-assess the soil, soil sample, cultivation to improve soil, and protect the environment. To assess the soil health, and structure a soil pit is dug. Once the soil pit is dug the soil is sampled and analyzed. Information is collected in regards to nutrient content and pH of the soil, and micro nutrients are examined by broad spectrum analysis. The third step, cultivation and rotating the soil improves both soil structure and health. During cultivation and rotation the farmer’s must be educated on visual signs of compaction, and know when to cultivate arable soil. The final step for soil management according to The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is to minimize farmer’s impact – reduce and prevent runoff through the use of banks, buffer strips and tramline management.

In 2009, there was a study conducted on the effects of tillage on soil and water. The results showed the some farmers have on the environment. They found phosphorus and nitrogen levels were higher in cropped areas. This was because minimal tillage and full stubble retention increases nutrient concentrations in soil, this leads to run off, and leads further to increases in higher concentrations of nutrients filtering into water supplies. After the study, the results showed that the best method for farmers to use is a method of direct drilling combined with stubble retention in higher rainfall zones to better retain the nutrients rather than run off into the water supply [5]

Professional Nutrient Management Group provides assistance to farmers in regards to improving nutrient management through tools and resources. The management group known as Tried & Tested has a toolkit with nutrient, manure, and feed planning guidance. Inside this toolkit one would find a booklet with step by step how to farm, recording forms for comparison of fertiliser, a nutrient management glossary with all the terms, and planning/recording sheets for use of organic manures. The goal of this booklet is to explain nutrient management goals, help the individual farmer create a plan, show the farmer the most important questions that should be understood, explain how to calculate how much fertiliser is necessary, and help farmers understand how they are benefiting.

The Rivers Trust and Catchment Sensitive Farming created Pinpoint to reduce water pollution created from farming. Pinpoint supplies training, and support to keep farmers up to date and informed on the methods for sustainability. They have a number of courses on the process of how to diffuse water pollution from our environment and agriculture, and courses on educating farmers on sediment-related problems. The Rivers Trust focuses heavily on why it is important to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture. Diffuse water pollution is created from many sources making it difficult to track. Run off has many sources like transportation, urban living, remnants of contaminated land; nutrients; pesticides, and sediment created by farmers. To best reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture, farmers must be educated. Small steps can lead to a huge impact like moving their gate entrance to prevent field erosion, or separating clean and dirty water.

The Voluntary Initiative works towards promoting safe Pesticide use. It is important when using pesticides to plan ahead, ensure proper application time, ensure proper application, and clean up properly. To plan ahead farmers should avoid erosion and run off, be certain to use pesticides from a trusted source, and be certain to fill pesticides away from drains and waterways. To ensure proper timing according to the Voluntary Initiative the sprayer should be checked for leaks on a regular basis, do not apply pesticides to dry cracked surfaces and saturated soils, and don’t spray within 48 hours of rainfall. This specifically allows for easier transportation of the pesticides into the water supply. To ensure proper application of pesticides avoid spills and splashes when filling the sprayer, make sure no pesticides get into the water supply, clean up any spills, and apply with care. The final step is to clean up when finished with the application. Spray wash on the crop and target area when finished, and clean off any mud or surfaces that could have come into contact with the pesticides before leaving the target area.