Farmers participating in GLAS II who have chosen the grove of native tree action should note that the area should have been fenced off by 31 October. This is the case whether the area has been planted or not.

Participants have until 31 March 2017 to plant the trees. A minimum area of 0.05ha containing 250 trees and or a maximum area of 0.09ha with 450 trees must be planted in one location identified on the LPIS parcel selected and marked on the map submitted.

One requirement of carrying out tree planting under GLAS is that trees have to be derived from suitable seed sources from within Ireland which are regarded as being indigenous in nature.

The native trees covered include: alder, silver birch, downey birch, sessile oak, pedunculate oak, mountain ash, whitebeam, wild cherry, goat willow, rusty willow, eared willow, white willow and hazel.

The Department says trees must be planted in rows 2m apart, with a distance of 1m between the plants within the rows.

Grass and other competing vegetation must be controlled around the trees until they have become established.

Slurry and FYM

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that over 40 applications were made to the nitrates section of the Department of Agriculture to spread slurry during the prohibited period.

Many farmers have said that this current dry spell has been their only real chance to get slurry spread.

Up to now, certain parts of the country were unfit for slurry spreading.

The Department of Agriculture did not accede to calls for an extension to the deadline.

It has clarified that farmers can contact the Department if they have specific animal welfare issues in relation to slurry spreading.

Monday 31 October was the last day in 2016 that farmers were allowed to spread farm yard manure (FYM) on land.

The prohibited period starts from 1 November and continues until mid- to end January, depending on which zone the farm is located in.