NEWS RELEASE

19 March 09

Farmers urged to use new Tried & Tested nutrient management plan

A new Tried & Tested nutrient management plan is being launched to help farmers and growers plan their fertiliser and manure use, meet increasing regulatory demands and protect the environment.

The new, easy-to-read plan has been completely updated to offer practical advice for farmers to aid better record-keeping. It means crop nutrition needs are more easily met and, by optimising fertiliser use, farmers will potentially save money.

Work by leading industry organisations the AIC, CLA, FWAG, LEAF and the NFU also includes a new website www.nutrientmanagement.org - which will provide examples of best practice, as well as downloadable Tried & Tested worksheets plus a wealth of other information and advice tools on nutrient management.

A series of workshops and events will take best practice from the Tried & Tested plan direct to farmers in England over the next two years. This is all part of a partnership project with the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative to make nutrient management advice more widely available to farmers.

The industry group said: "Fertiliser use is becoming increasingly complex - and expensive. This Tried & Tested approach is just what the industry needs to provide a simple, practical way to plan and record nutrient use. It will take farmers through the process of nutrient management planning and complements the Defra Fertiliser Manual (RB209) and  the latest guidance leaflets for NVZs.

"The plan should be particularly valuable for livestock farmers in making better use of manures to help ensure their farms are more cost effective and minimise any potential adverse impacts on the environment."

Included in the Tried & Tested Nutrient Management Plan publication is:

• Season-by-season planning notes for the whole farm including arable and grassland crops
• A series of worksheets covering crop management planning as well as recording field applications of both manufactured fertilisers and manures
• Useful contacts for more information creating a more comprehensive guide to good practice in nutrient management.

The plan will be assessed to test its effectiveness, with the long term aim of seeing efficient fertiliser use and good practice across all farms in England.

To download the plan click here 

For more on the plan click www.nutrientmanagement.org