Nitrogen cap now operating

• Date: 21 July 2021
• Published date: 21 July 2021

‘‘Farmers need to record synthetic N fertiliser applications from 1 July onwards and report this to their regional council next July,’’ DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said.

‘‘We expect the Government will be releasing further guidance on reporting in the second half of this month.

‘‘We don’t support the cap as it imposes unnecessary regulatory compliance costs on farmers and councils, and we believe there are better ways to achieve the same improvements in water quality,’’ Dr Mackle said.

‘‘We’ve been advocating that the Government take a practical approach to the farmer reporting requirements.’’

Dr Mackle referred farmers to the DairyNZ website for information on how to reduce nitrogen fertiliser use and on consenting options for those above the limit.

The information below comes from that source.

Strategies to reduce N fertiliser use

Using less N fertiliser can contribute to better water quality and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. If reviewing your use of N fertiliser, the tips below can help you form a plan.

What do I need to do?

1. Understand the new regulations and how they apply to your farm. Discuss with your trusted adviser or your local DairyNZ consulting officer.

2. Know how much synthetic N fertiliser was applied last year over each hectare or paddock of the farm as well as on average over the whole effective pastoral area. It is important to accurately identify the size of the reduction required.

3. Have good systems in place for recording the tonnages of all synthetic N fertiliser applied on farm and the area it was applied to, for reporting to the regional council. When using a mix of products, ensure all sources of synthetic N and the application rates are accounted for.

4. Review your current N use strategy to identify potential areas to improve N use efficiency.

— How much N fertiliser was applied and when? Was the N fertiliser applied to the paddocks/areas of the farm targeted? If using contractors, check the application tracking data. Some farmers have reported significant discrepancies between planned and actual N use.

— How much N fertiliser was applied on the effluent and non-effluent areas?

— How many applications, how often and at what rate (kg N/ha/application)?

— What type of N fertiliser was used?

— Has the N boosted grass been used to fill a genuine feed deficit?

5. Create a plan to meet the 190kg N/ha cap. If you are exceeding the cap, you can apply for a resource consent and two options are available for doing so...