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Farmers in the Republic of Ireland are reminded that the closed period for slurry starts on 1 October. That means farmers have just over one week to get storage tanks emptied.
Where weather and ground conditions permit, take every opportunity to spread slurry over the next week.
If spreading slurry on grazing ground that cows are likely to graze this autumn, keep spreading rates below 1,500 gallons/acre.
Slurry is high in potash and inhibits magnesium uptake in grass, putting cows at higher risk of tetany. Magnesium supplementation should also be available to lactating cows.
Keep safety in mind. With such a short window to spread slurry, do not cut corners because that is when accidents happen.
Northern Ireland
For farmers in Northern Ireland, slurry can be applied to 15 October. However, farmers should note that from 1 October, buffer zones from waterways increase.
For splash plate applications, buffer zones increase from 10m to 15m next to water courses and from 20m to 30m from lakes.
When using low emissions slurry spreading equipment, a buffer zone of 3m must be left to waterways.
SHARING OPTIONS: