The Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 No. 307

PART 5 N.I. Measures relating to land management

Cover in winter N.I.

[F1 22.   After harvesting a crop other than grass the controller shall ensure that from harvest to 15th January in the following year, one of the following conditions is met on the land at any time—

(a) the stubble of the harvested crop remains in the land; or

(b) (i) the land is sown with a crop which will take up nitrogen from the soil; or

(ii) where soil or weather conditions prevent a subsequent crop from being sown, appropriate measures are put in place to limit soil erosion.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 22 substituted (14.12.2015) by The Nitrates Action Programme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/369), regs. 1, 5

Crop management N.I.

[F2 23.   Where grass leys are grown in rotation with arable crops the first crop shall be sown as soon as possible after the grass has been ploughed.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Reg. 23 substituted (14.12.2015) by The Nitrates Action Programme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/369), regs. 1, 6

Crop management for derogated holdings N.I.

24.  In addition to the measures mentioned in regulations 22 and 23, where regulation 12 applies the controller of a derogated holding shall carry out the following measures—

(a) temporary grassland shall be ploughed in spring;

(b) ploughed grass on all soil types shall be followed immediately by a crop with high nitrogen demand; and

(c) crop rotation shall not include leguminous or other plants fixing atmospheric nitrogen except for grassland with less than 50 % clover and to areas with cereals and pea undersown with grass.