OpenFields

Nitrogen Losses on a Mixed Farm in the Cotswold Hills, England

results of a project to examine real life nitrate losses within a commercial farm, and to determine which farm practices contribute most.

Year of Publication2009

Summary Nitrate leaching was measured for 8 years at the Royal Agricultural College’s farm at Coates as part of a Defra funded project to investigate the main sources of nitrate loss from real commercial farms. Losses were determined by farm practices but also strongly influenced by the variability of winter rainfall on these shallow, stony rendzina soils. Key advice includes: Establish crops early in autumn Delay applying organic manures, especially slurry, as late as possible but preferably apply to grass leys in summer Delay grazing stubble turnips until as late as possible

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Soils & water
• Subject Collection > Arable & industrial crops > Nutrition & fertilisers
• Subject Collection > Arable & industrial crops
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Wastes management & pollution control
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact

Additional keywords/tags