Agriculture & Land spreading
Agriculture is a significant agri-food industry within Laois, with 70% of lands in Laois for Agricultural use. Agriculture is one of the main activities which can have an impact on water quality and has been identified as a significant pressure.
The EU Nitrate Directive and the European Union (Good Agricultural Practices for Protection of Waters) Regulations provides a statutory basis for ensuring good ensuring good agricultural practices are in place to protect our water quality within the County.
Landspreading.
The European Union(Good Agricultural Practices for Protection of Waters) Regulations, 2022 as amended (known as the GAP Regulations) details the requirements regarding the collection, storage, management and landspreading of farmyard manure, organic fertiliser and soiled water produced on a farm holding. In relation to land spreading activities, the regulations detail requirements as to the manner of application of organic fertiliser, weather conditions, and periods of the year when land spreading is prohibited.
Organic and chemical fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land:
- By use of an umbilical system with an upward-facing splash-plate.
- By use of a tanker with an upward-facing splash-plate.
- By use of a sludge irrigator mounted on a tanker, or
- From a road or passageway adjacent to the land irrespective of whether the road or passageway is within or outside the cartilage of the holding.
Fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land in any of the following circumstances:
- The land is waterlogged.
- The land is flooded or likely to flood.
- The land is snow covered or frozen.
- Heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours. Farmers are to have due regard for weather forecasts issued by Met Eireann.
- 5m of surface watercourses. The 5m distance shall be increased to 10m for a period of two weeks preceding and two weeks following the prohibited land spreading period.
- 20m of a lake shoreline or turlough likely to flood.
- The ground slopes steeply and there is a risk of water pollution having regard to factors such as surface run-off pathways, the presence of land drains, the absence of hedgerows to mitigate surface run-off, soil condition, and ground cover.
Recommended Buffer Distances for Landscaping & FYM Storage:
1.5m Fencing of bovines from waters
3.0m Spreading of chemical fertilizer to surface waters
5.0m Spreading of Organic Fertiliser to surface waters
10m Spreading of Organic Fertiliser to surface waters 2 weeks either side of closed period
• Spreading of Organic Fertiliser on steeply sloped lands
15m Spreading of Organic Fertiliser to Karst feature
20m Spreading of Organic Fertiliser to lake/turlough.
• FYM storage distance from waters/lake
25m Spreading Organic Fertiliser from drinking water abstraction <10m3
50m FYM storage from Karst feature or abstraction of drinking water <10m3
100m Spreading Organic Fertiliser from drinking water abstraction 10m3–100m3
200m Spreading Organic Fertiliser from drinking water abstraction >100m3
250m FYM storage from drinking water abstraction >10m3
Laois County Council regulate landspreading activities within the County and the GAP regulations specify the period during which the application of fertilisers to land is prohibited in County Laois.
The prohibited periods for landing Spreading in Laois
- Chemical Fertiliser - 15th September 2024 to 26th January 2025
- Organic Fertiliser – 1st October 2024 to 12th January 2025
- Farmyard Manure - 1st November 2024 to 12thJanuary 2025
Please be aware landspreading outside of these dates is an offence under the European Union (Good Agricultural Practices for Protection of Waters) Regulations, 2022 as amended.