ARCHIVE: Help for farmers in nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs)

Guidance for farmers in NVZs

Nine guidance leaflets have been produced by Defra and the Environment Agency to help farmers in NVZs understand the requirements, and implement and comply with the new Action Programme measures. The full set of these leaflets is available electronically in our Publications Library. To request a hard copy of these leaflets please email the Nitrates Directive Mailbox via the following email address: nitratesdirectiveteam@defra.gsi.gov.uk or call either the Defra Library on 020 7238 6575 or the Defra Helpline.

In addition, the Environment Agency has produced a Questions and Answers document which responds to frequently asked questions about the implementation of the Action Programme.

Farmers with land located in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) must comply with a number of rules.  The Nitrates Action Programme promotes best practice in the use and storage of fertiliser and manure, and build on the guidelines set out in the Code for Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water. The Government encourages farmers outside of the NVZs to follow these voluntary Codes of Good Practice, for the protection of the environment. This will help to prevent nitrate levels rising to the point where regulation becomes necessary. It will also help to reduce other pollution, including phosphate losses and microbiological contamination of bathing waters.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Environment Agency has produced a Questions and Answers document which provides a more detailed interpretation of the rules and can be used to supplement the above guidance leaflets.

Computer software tools

PLANET (Planning Land Applications of Nutrients for Efficiency and the Environment)

PLANET version 2 was released in November 2008 and contains the following new calculation modules to help farmers comply with the NVZ Action Programme Regulations that came into force on 1 January 2009.

  • The livestock manure N farm limit – calculates the N capacity and N loading of a farm (NVZ compliance tool).
  • Organic manures inventory – calculates the quantities of slurry, dirty water and solid manure produced on a farm and their NPK content. Calculates the minimum manure storage requirement of a farm (NVZ compliance tool).
  • Existing manure storage capacity – calculates the capacity of existing slurry, dirty water and solid manure stores.
  • The N max limit – calculates the average N max limit and average nitrogen application rate for a crop type grown on land in an NVZ (NVZ compliance tool).
  • Farmgate nutrient balance – calculates the farmgate balance of nitrogen, phosphate and potash (not required for NVZ compliance).

Version 2.0 also provides improved functionality for the Field-level nutrient planning and record keeping module that was part of PLANET version 1. This module provides nutrient and lime recommendations for individual fields that mimic those given in Defra's industry standard 'Fertiliser Recommendations (RB209)' book (7th edition, published 2000).

Recommendations are given for arable, horticultural, grassland and forage crops, taking account of the crop nutrient requirement and the nutrients supplied from the soil, organic manures and manufactured fertilisers. A nutrient application plan can be developed and details of cropping, soil analyses and actual nutrient applications recorded. Reports can be produced.

You can obtain a copy of PLANET version 2.0 in any of the following ways: