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CAFRE

Nutrient Management Planning to Maximise Nutrient Use Efficiency

February 14, 2024

The best management strategy to target the application of organic manures and chemical fertiliser is to create a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP), this can be done using the CAFRE Crop Nutrient Calculator, available at www.daera-ni.gov.uk/onlineservices. This is an online tool which can help you to determine how much nitrogen, phosphate and potassium is required by each crop, prior to application of nutrients. Creating and implementing a NMP across your farm will help to target the application of organic manures and chemical fertiliser to low index areas where they will maximise nutrient use efficiency, while reducing the likelihood of surface runoff or leaching. When planning organic manure application it is important to avoid nutrient loss, these plans must be put into action when considering the type, quantity and method of application.

Emma Neville, CAFRE highlights that a nutrient management plan/fertilsation plan is required if applying chemical phosphate fertiliser to grassland or if applying high phosphate manures (broiler breeder, layer litter & pig manure) or digestate to any land.

CAFRE online Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) Nutrient Management Plan training is available to all farmers at www.cafre.ac.uk/snhs-training.  This training will help you interpret your soil analysis results and develop a nutrient management plan.

Participation in the SNHS will be a condition for the receipt of the new Farm Sustainability and Farming with Nature Payments, the replacements for Single Farm Payment and Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS). This requires both registering for the SNHS and completion of the training being offered by CAFRE. Failure to complete both elements may affect your future payments.