Prohibited Period for Landspreading of Fertilisers in County Cavan 

Slurry, FYM and fertiliser is prohibited from being spread over the winter in Ireland to comply with the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters) Regulations 2022 (Nitrates Regulations). The aim is to protect ground and surface water, including drinking water. The regulations also prohibit such application at any time of the year when the ground is frozen, waterlogged, or heavy rain is forecast. 

The losses of nutrients to waterbodies on a given day during the winter period, is 4 times higher than in summer, even when both days have similar rainfall. 

From October onwards plant growth and hence nutrient uptake from the soil begins to decline, leading to very low nutrient demand by the crop/grass and very low recovery of soil nutrients over the winter period. 

In County Cavan, the period during which the application of fertilisers to land is prohibited is from 

• 15th September 2022 to 14th February 2023 in the case of application of chemical fertiliser. 
• 8th October 2022 to 31st January 2023 in the case of application of organic fertiliser (other than farmyard manure). Examples of organic fertiliser include slurry, mushroom spent compost, silage effluent and non-farm organic substances such as industrial by-products and sludges. 
• 1st November 2022 to 31st January 2023 in the case of application of farmyard manure. 

Please note that the closed period for organic manures (other than farmyard manure) commences on the 8th October 2022 as per 2022 Nitrates Regulations. 

Minimum distances from lakes, watercourses and wells must be maintained prior to the prohibited period. The buffer distance from surface waters for spreading organic fertilisers, is 10 metres for the two weeks preceding and two weeks following the closed period. 

All of the drinking water supplies in County Cavan are from rivers, lakes or groundwater sources. Many houses in County Cavan are served by private wells which are supplied from groundwater. We encourage everyone to be involved in protecting river, lake and groundwater sources so we can help to protect human health as well as the environment. 

For further information on the Nitrates Regulations or any other queries you may have regarding protecting water quality, please contact the Environment Section of Cavan County Council on 049 437 8486 or alternatively at environ@cavancoco.ie.