Agri-environment scheme will include financial support to protect watercourses

The new Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), which will open shortly, will include financial support to encourage farmers to take on suitable water quality protection measures for their farm.

Teagasc environment specialist Catherine Keena says farmers can help address the challenges to water, climate and biodiversity by joining ACRES.

For example, if a farmer has land within the “High-Status Water objective” mapped area, they may be eligible for Tier 1 priority entry to the general ACRES scheme, if they take on a suitable action such as riparian buffer zones, planting trees or hedgerow in an appropriate area, or management of grassland next to a watercourse.

Similarly, farmers within the Vulnerable Water mapped area may be eligible for Tier 2 priority entry to the general ACRES scheme.

Risks to water quality

According to Ivan Kelly, ASSAP adviser, Teagasc Galway/Clare, agricultural advisers preparing ACRES plans for farmers must consider risks to water quality, and must identify critical source areas. These are areas on the farm that deliver a disproportionally high amount of pollutants, and have the highest risk of impacting a water body.

Pollution Impact Potential maps are a tool to help highlight these risk areas. These maps, for two pollutants, phosphate and nitrate, are available to assist Acres advisers in targeting actions to the areas where they will be most effective.

Where phosphorus is a risk, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mapping also shows Focused Flow Paths and Delivery Points on farms (where this phosphorus is most likely to be lost to waterbodies through overland flow).

Such information is freely available to all farmers on the EPA interactive map which can be accessed here.

In his recent ACRES advice bulletin, Ivan Kelly said protection of water quality from nutrient, sediment and pesticide losses, and achieving ‘good status’ for all waters in Ireland, are key national goals.

Since 2018, the Agricultural Sustainability Support & Advisory Service (ASSAP) has provided advice to farmers on suitable mitigation measures to improve or reduce the risk to water quality from farming.

In the ASSAP interim report, the main water quality pressures identified and referred to ASSAP from catchment scientists in the Local Authority Waters Programme was the loss of phosphorus and sediment to waterbodies.

Accumulation of phosphorus

In grassland, applied phosphorus accumulates in the soil, close to the surface. When you get high rainfall on heavy soils, or when the soil is saturated, most of the water will “run off” the surface, carrying both dissolved phosphorus and phosphorous attached to clay particles.

The Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme found that in a typical year, eight or 10 heavy rain storms will carry over half the phosphorous lost to our rivers and lakes.

If sediment finds its way to a stream, it can settle on the river-bed in slow flow areas, resulting in the loss of macro-invertebrate habitat and spawning ground. Phosphorus often binds to this sediment, and can cause excess nutrient load, and promotes algal blooms (eutrophication) which reduce oxygen levels in the stream.

In fresh water, a very small amount of phosphorous (under one unit per acre) can cause eutrophication.

Targeted fertiliser and slurry application at optimum times throughout the main growing season, particularly on low permeability soils, along with suitable land management, can help mitigate against the risk of phosphorus and sediment getting into waterbodies.

The risk of run-off from slurry and fertiliser is greater where soils are wet, the soil temperature is low (under 6C) and heavy rain (over 10mm) is due within two or three days. Farmers can reduce the risk by lowering the application rate, targeting the driest fields, and avoiding steep slopes adjacent to waterbodies or areas susceptible to run off.

Phosphorus should only be applied at rates the plant needs and can use for growth immediately.

Phosphorus does not bind to peat soil particles, so unlike mineral soils, peat soil do not have the capacity to build up a store of phosphorous.

Buffer zones

A riparian buffer zone is an area adjacent to a water body where no chemical and organic fertiliser application, cultivation, or spraying can be carried out. These zones vary in width and are required to protect waters from diffuse losses of nutrients, sediment and chemicals.

The introduction of trees or rough dense vegetation in these areas can act as a barrier, shade streams, and stabilise river banks, while the roots can absorb soil nutrients. To be effective, riparian buffer zones must be located at the points where nutrient, sediment, or pesticides, are most likely to enter a waterbody.

Agricultural practices such as land drainage, cattle access drinking points to streams, and poor management of farm roadways, can also lead to loss of sediment and phosphorus.

According to Ivan Kelly, mitigation options to reduce sediment loss include preventing access by livestock into drains and streams, and providing alternative drinking water sources; diverting all surface runoff from farm roadways to a field or soak pit; establishing targeted riparian buffer zones; and proper drain maintenance.

If applying to join ACRES, to qualify for payments while helping improve water, climate and biodiversity, you need to understand results-based payments, said Catherine Keena.

The Hen Harrier Project, Pearl Mussel Project, Burren Programme, Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE IP, and REAP, already deliver results-based payments.

Advisers are currently delivering one-day courses under the Agri-Environment Training Scheme (AETS) to help prepare farmers for ACRES.

AETS has been extended for two months, so courses can be completed up to October 31, 2022.

More than 21,000 farmers attended AETS courses so far, for advice on environmental schemes, and farm health and safety. Farmers can qualify for a payment of €156 if they satisfactorily attend an AETS course.