Two-thirds of Irish land area is in agricultural use with our water quality heavily dependent on good farm practices, management of waste water, and pesticide application. The importance of water quality is growing as we learn more about its effect on the health of our ecosystems and our ability to maintain a high level of biodiversity.
Paul Wilson is a suckler and sheep farmer based in Ballyar, Co Donegal. This is an area of good ecological status with the goal to return it to a previously high status. Simple measures have been very effective on the Wilson farm, and changes to his water infrastructure are in the pipeline.
Shed where a rain gutter will be installed.
The Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) is a free water quality advisory service provided by Teagasc, with the aim of improving how farmers manage water and its effects at a farmyard, land, and nutrient management level.
Paul took over the farm in 2015 after completing his Green Cert. Conscious of how water quality affects his farm and the surrounding community, he entered the ASSAP programme.
The Wilson farm is in the Carn Low catchment of the Leannan Priority Area for Action. Paul will focus on improving stock quality and maintaining farm buildings as part of an extensive plan for his farm continuing the efforts of the previous generation. All animals are finished on the farm, which has 15 suckler cows and 120 ewes.
Observing buffer zones. Electric fence 2m back from the riverbank.
Paul has implemented low-cost, simple measures to improve water quality with advice and assistance from Shaun Roarty, the local Teagasc ASSAP adviser. Heavy brown podzols are the main soil type with areas of gley land dotted around the farm, which can be wet in parts. Leaching was noted in the subsoil during a farm visit, with high iron levels identified.
Areas of good practice
Paul has used a few simple measures to prevent farmyard run-off. With the Glashagh River nearby, drains have been installed at the bottom of the yard to ensure waste water and any potential effluent is redirected away from the river. The water is then dispersed across a larger surface of land with a reduced risk of contamination.
Drain installed to prevent run-off making its way to the Glashagh River.
Various sheds on the farm have entry drains to avoid run-off from silage and livestock within. Fertilisers and agr0chemicals are stored in one of the sheds, ensuring the packaging does not become breached and the contents are not open to the elements.
The ASSAP programme advises that improper application of artificial and organic fertilisers can contribute greatly to poor water quality. Paul pays great attention to timely application and buffer zones. Ewes typically lamb down in mid-April on the farm, leaving less pressure for early grass and reducing the need for intense use of artificial fertiliser.
Chemical fertilisers are applied at a minimum of 2m from the river course with slurry being spread with at least a 5m buffer zone. Livestock are fenced off with no access to the river. Originally barbed wire was in place on the riverbank. Paul has installed electric fencing 2m back as a further precautionary measure.
Waste water collecting in the yard.
A number of commonly used pesticides are being detected more frequently in Irish drinking water in recent years. Careless storage, handling or use of pesticides can lead to breaches of the legal limit for pesticides in drinking water.
Paul uses caution when applying pesticides. With 120 ewes on farm, the sheep clean up most noxious plants as they appear.
Future investment
Paul has plans to upgrade and install gutters on his farm buildings as the ASSAP programme has identified this as a potential source of waste water collecting in the farmyard. The water collected in these gutters will be redirected to a storage tank which will be used for livestock water troughs. The farm will become more self-sufficient in its consumption and reduce the waste water in the yard.
Map of the Leannan Priority Area for Action in Co Donegal.
In parts the farm can become water logged, with a heavy soil type typical to the area. Paul is aiming to dig drains in order to have better water management in these fields. It is hoped the land will experience better grass quality and growth as a result. Currently phosphorus and potassium levels are low in the farm’s soil. These elements will be applied in a manner which will not cause contamination to waterways while increasing the fertility of the farmland. The pH levels are good across the farm, with an average of 6.2.
“In most cases, small low-cost measures from farmers in the area will make a huge difference,” Shaun said. “Farmers are wanting to help maintain and restore good and high water quality status objectives in their respective areas. This will no doubt have knock on benefits for biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and improving overall soil health and water quality in our communities.”
Two-thirds of Irish land area is in agricultural use with our water quality heavily dependent on good farm practices, management of waste water, and pesticide application. The importance of water quality is growing as we learn more about its effect on the health of our ecosystems and our ability to maintain a high level of biodiversity.
Paul Wilson is a suckler and sheep farmer based in Ballyar, Co Donegal. This is an area of good ecological status with the goal to return it to a previously high status. Simple measures have been very effective on the Wilson farm, and changes to his water infrastructure are in the pipeline.
Shed where a rain gutter will be installed.
The Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) is a free water quality advisory service provided by Teagasc, with the aim of improving how farmers manage water and its effects at a farmyard, land, and nutrient management level.
Paul took over the farm in 2015 after completing his Green Cert. Conscious of how water quality affects his farm and the surrounding community, he entered the ASSAP programme.
The Wilson farm is in the Carn Low catchment of the Leannan Priority Area for Action. Paul will focus on improving stock quality and maintaining farm buildings as part of an extensive plan for his farm continuing the efforts of the previous generation. All animals are finished on the farm, which has 15 suckler cows and 120 ewes.
Observing buffer zones. Electric fence 2m back from the riverbank.
Paul has implemented low-cost, simple measures to improve water quality with advice and assistance from Shaun Roarty, the local Teagasc ASSAP adviser. Heavy brown podzols are the main soil type with areas of gley land dotted around the farm, which can be wet in parts. Leaching was noted in the subsoil during a farm visit, with high iron levels identified.
Areas of good practice
Paul has used a few simple measures to prevent farmyard run-off. With the Glashagh River nearby, drains have been installed at the bottom of the yard to ensure waste water and any potential effluent is redirected away from the river. The water is then dispersed across a larger surface of land with a reduced risk of contamination.
Drain installed to prevent run-off making its way to the Glashagh River.
Various sheds on the farm have entry drains to avoid run-off from silage and livestock within. Fertilisers and agr0chemicals are stored in one of the sheds, ensuring the packaging does not become breached and the contents are not open to the elements.
The ASSAP programme advises that improper application of artificial and organic fertilisers can contribute greatly to poor water quality. Paul pays great attention to timely application and buffer zones. Ewes typically lamb down in mid-April on the farm, leaving less pressure for early grass and reducing the need for intense use of artificial fertiliser.
Chemical fertilisers are applied at a minimum of 2m from the river course with slurry being spread with at least a 5m buffer zone. Livestock are fenced off with no access to the river. Originally barbed wire was in place on the riverbank. Paul has installed electric fencing 2m back as a further precautionary measure.
Waste water collecting in the yard.
A number of commonly used pesticides are being detected more frequently in Irish drinking water in recent years. Careless storage, handling or use of pesticides can lead to breaches of the legal limit for pesticides in drinking water.
Paul uses caution when applying pesticides. With 120 ewes on farm, the sheep clean up most noxious plants as they appear.
Future investment
Paul has plans to upgrade and install gutters on his farm buildings as the ASSAP programme has identified this as a potential source of waste water collecting in the farmyard. The water collected in these gutters will be redirected to a storage tank which will be used for livestock water troughs. The farm will become more self-sufficient in its consumption and reduce the waste water in the yard.
Map of the Leannan Priority Area for Action in Co Donegal.
In parts the farm can become water logged, with a heavy soil type typical to the area. Paul is aiming to dig drains in order to have better water management in these fields. It is hoped the land will experience better grass quality and growth as a result. Currently phosphorus and potassium levels are low in the farm’s soil. These elements will be applied in a manner which will not cause contamination to waterways while increasing the fertility of the farmland. The pH levels are good across the farm, with an average of 6.2.
“In most cases, small low-cost measures from farmers in the area will make a huge difference,” Shaun said. “Farmers are wanting to help maintain and restore good and high water quality status objectives in their respective areas. This will no doubt have knock on benefits for biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and improving overall soil health and water quality in our communities.”
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