Jersey cows produce large amounts of manure – a natural alternative to commercial fertiliser – and Environment Minister Steve Luce has this week extended the spreading season to help the diary industry maximise the opportunity to make and harvest winter feed during the good weather.
It will enable farmers to harvest more maize and make silage from the late-growing grass for when cows come inside to be sheltered from the wet and cold winter months.
Deputy Luce, a former dairy farmer, said: ‘We are currently enjoying an extended window of very favourable weather with a dry easterly wind, which is just what you need to be working the soil without damaging it.
‘However, any slurry spread in this extended period will have to be incorporated into the soil, and also the relevant field will have to be sown with a fast growing crop to take up the additional nutrients afforded by the slurry.’
The Island follows EU regulations which dictate at what time of the year, and under which conditions, slurry can be spread on land, and the cut-off date was last Wednesday.
This is to control nitrate levels in water which are thought to have harmful health affects, particularly for young children.
St Martin dairy farmer Tom Perchard says the extension makes common sense.
‘It is good that the Environment Department is showing a more proactive approach and allowing us to be more flexible in spreading slurry. We realise that we can’t spread it on the land over the winter and we want to do our bit to reduce the nitrate levels, so it makes sense to utilise the good weather and to spread it in the proper and diligent manner,’ he said.
When nitrogen fertilizers are used to enrich soils, nitrates may be carried by rain, irrigation and other surface waters through the soil into ground water. Human and animal wastes can also contribute to nitrate contamination of ground water.
Jersey’s farmers are aware of where boreholes and wells are located in the countryside and avoid these areas when spreading slurry.
