Ireland-Organic levels in soil.

IRELAND-ORGANIC MATTER LEVELS IN SOIL.

A senior Teagasc tillage specialist has questioned a Department of Agriculture proposal to set a 3.4pc threshold for soil organic matter levels in cereals ground.

Professor Jimmy Burke, head of the Teagasc Crops Research Centre in Oak Park, said the cut-off level being proposed was too low and would have serious implications for growers.

The Department has confirmed that specific farmers involved in continuous crop production and whose holdings are in areas deemed to be "vulnerable" to soil degradation, will be obliged to carry out soil organic matter tests over the next few months.

Ploughing

Where the test results are below the 3.4pc threshold, the farmers will be obliged to contact their Teagasc advisor and a remedial action plan for the lands must be drawn up. The plans will vary from farm to farm but may involve the ploughing in of a cover crop, or ploughing in the previous year’s straw or farmyard manure.

But Professor Burke contends that the threshold level set by the Department may well result in a lot of tillage ground being put back into grass.

"I would be urging caution on this one," he said. "We looked at soil organic matter levels in tillage ground for other purposes in the past and quite a proportion were under 3.4pc."

Professor Burke also questioned why the organic matter threshold was set at 3.4pc and asked if there was scientific evidence to support the decision.

"We would all like organic matter levels to be as high as possible in the ideal world, but in terms of the effect on the environment, and from a good farming practice point of view, there is no evidence that 3.4pc is better than 2.2pc," he added.

Money

The Teagasc specialist also warned that lifting soil organic matter levels would not be simple and would take time and money.

"Where organic matter is low, remedial action will be costly and will take an awful lot of time. This is not something we can do in two or three years. The alternative is to put the ground back into grass," Professor Burke explained.

The Department is due to write to selected farmers over the next two months informing them that they must carry out soil organic matter tests.

Lands that have been cultivated for more than six years will be subject to the new inspections.

Department officials have stated that the new measures are aimed at preventing soil degradation. They are adamant that the checks will be introduced in a"farmer friendly" manner.

- Declan O’Brien