19/01/2005 - The future
of soil management will be top of the agenda
Friday 21 January 2005 and on Thursday 27
January 2005, when Vale of Evesham farmers
will be attending a Soil Management Training
Event and visiting Whaddon Farm in Chipping
Campden to get the chance to find more about
the topic.
The Environment Agency, Farming and Wildlife
Advisory Group (FWAG) and Simon Draper Independent
Agronomy have teamed up to run the day to
raise awareness of soil erosion and diffuse
pollution issues. Farmers attending will
also be able to get advice on how they can
benefit through the new farm payment schemes.
As the Vale of Evesham area has problems
with rainwater runoff, soil erosion, flooding
and pollution, it is important that awareness
is raised amongst farmers and advisers about
ways to prevent and deal with these issues.
The day has been specially designed to
inform farmers about what they can do to
minimise the risk of these situations developing,
using practical examples on the farm to
illustrate solutions.
The day will also give those attending
an opportunity to discuss with Simon Draper,
a specialist independent agronomist, the
new cross-compliance rules related to soil
management and hear about the new agricultural
payments schemes.
The event will be open to all farmers and
agricultural advisors working in and around
the Vale of Evesham area.
Speaking about the event, Agency bio-diversity
officer, Giles Matthews, says: ‘There is
a growing interest in issues relating to
soil management. A developed understanding
and the taking of actions to minimise negative
impacts on the soil will have short and
long-term benefits for farmers, the environment
and the general public in a number of ways.
Days like these are extremely beneficial
as they give people the opportunity to see
for themselves what can be done.’
Editors’ notes:
What is Diffuse Pollution and does it concern
farmers and growers?
Diffuse pollution is the contaminants entering
into watercourses from any number of sources.
Farming contributes to diffuse pollution
in five main ways;
Soil entering into the watercourses by
soil particles being washed into the watercourse
from rainfall, with the field based symptoms
of soil erosion and soil wash.
Phosphate and Potash entering from heavy
applications of farmyard manure or as elements
in the soil particles particularly under
high rainfall conditions. Nitrogen entering
from leaching after manure applications
and where bagged fertiliser is applied.
Other impurities such as agrochemicals
– these mainly enter the watercourses ‘stuck
on’ to the soil particles.
Farm Tracks which are a particular problem
with no easy answers.
The common theme through these five areas
is soil which nobody wants to lose, firstly
lets agree on what we are all seeing: Two
effects which can be defined as: Soil Wash
and Soil Erosion.
What’s the difference between Soil Wash
and Soil Erosion?
Soil Erosion is when soil goes directly
into a waterway and gullies etc form. This
type of pollution is not widespread but
in the past three years we do seem to have
seen more of it. Obviously where this occurs
then the problem is serious, but these events
tend to be less than the soil wash events
and are often associated with spring drilling
when thunderstorms and intense rainfall
occur.
Soil wash is where water cannot permeate
into the soil it can run directly off the
surface and cause not only pollution but
also localised flooding onto roads etc.
The soil stays generally in place but the
water washes over the surface taking away
any phosphate, potash and agrochemicals
that may have been applied. In the winter
where we have higher levels of less intense
rainfall then soil wash is a greater problem.
4. What’s the answer?
The reasons soil wash and erosion occur
tend to be varied and complex. One of the
easy answers given is the type of cultivation
and again, like all things to do with soil
sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t !!
We need to go back to basics and look at
the way we are managing the farm before
trying to look for solutions, to this end
soil management plans for cross compliance
and the entry level scheme will help address
these issues. These plans will need to be
in place by 2006 and this autumn and winter
a number of soil demonstrations are taking
place to help you think about and address
these
