Remember to use an inhibitor when applying urea fertilisers this spring, a timely prompt from the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) if English growers are to avoid further government restrictions and improve air quality.
An industry voluntary approach agreed last year means that growers must use ammonia abatement treatments and inhibitors to counter the risk of the Government seeking to further restrict the use of urea fertilisers.
Jo Gilbertson, AIC’s head of fertiliser, said: “The industry’s collective agreement with the Government to use inhibitors, and therefore avoid the very real threat of an outright ban on urea fertilisers, was hard won last year.
“It is imperative that the entire farming industry maintains its clear commitment to support this arrangement in the face of the ever-present threat of regulation, which is driven by the UK’s legal obligations to cut ammonia emissions as part of international air improvement treaties.”
The voluntary commitment means that in England, growers applying any fertiliser, including liquid products, blends and compounds between the 1st of April and the 15th of January must use effective protection to reduce ammonia emissions.
Unprotected applications from the 1st of April until the last autumn application can only happen if agronomic justification is provided by FACTS-qualified personnel, or advice specific to the crop has been given by a FACTS-qualified advisor.
More information is available via a free online course designed by BASIS in collaboration with the AIC, as well as the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC), the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), and Red Tractor
