Regulation 4 Applying organic manure and manufactured fertiliser to agricultural landI1
England and Wales
A land manager must ensure that, for each application of organic manure or manufactured fertiliser to agricultural land, the application—
is planned so that it does not—
exceed the needs of the soil and crop on that land, or
give rise to a significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution, and
takes into account the weather conditions and forecasts for that land at the time of the application.
When planning under paragraph (1)(a)(ii), the land manager must ensure that any factors which mean there would be a significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution from the application are taken into account, including—
the slope of the land, in particular if greater than 12 degrees,
any ground cover,
proximity of the land to inland freshwaters, coastal waters, wetlands, or to a spring, well or borehole,
the soil type and condition of the land, and
the presence and condition of any agricultural land drains.
In addition to paragraphs (1) and (2), the land manager must ensure that reasonable precautions are taken to prevent agricultural diffuse pollution resulting from applications.
Without limiting what may otherwise be done to comply with paragraph (3), examples of reasonable precautions include—
checking spreading equipment for leaks and correct calibration,
incorporating organic manure and manufactured fertiliser into the soil within 12 hours of, or as soon as possible after, its application, and
checking the organic matter content in, and moisture levels of, the soil.
In this regulation—
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“spreading equipment” means any machinery used for the application of organic manure or manufactured fertiliser to agricultural land and includes precision spreading equipment;
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“wetlands” means land that is covered with or saturated by water permanently or for a significant part of the year.