Say nothing!
OPINION: Normally farmer good organisations are happy to use the media to get their message across to politicians and the consumers.
Applying effluent to saturated soils is prohibited, and if a farmer is found to be in breach of this rule, they could face enforcement action.
When the soil is saturated, the pores within it (gaps between soil particles) are filled with water.
Any effluent applied during these conditions is likely to pond and run off or leach through the soil or into tile drains, rather than being absorbed and taken up by the plants.
So, how do you know if the soil is saturated? A simple squelch test can tell you, according to Otago Regional Council.
Ponding occurs when the effluent, solids, and liquids that are applied to land stay on the surface as a pond or puddle rather than being rapidly absorbed into the soil.
Ponding of effluent results in runoff and leaching into waterways and groundwater aquifers and is a prohibited activity in the Otago Water Plan.
What causes ponding?
Once the soil is squelchy under foot or at saturation point, it’s too late to avoid ponding and runoff. Irrigate only when there is enough soil water deficit to absorb the applied effluent.
If ponding or runoff occurs when there is a soil water deficit, it means you are applying too much effluent or applying it too quickly.
Applying solids, sludge, muck and slurry to paddocks must be treated the same as liquid effluent.
The same goes for effluent being applied with irrigation water, no matter what the mix is.
Good practices include timing: Do not apply sludge, muck and slurry solids to soils that are at or near saturation. Apply it to land when the grass or crops are able to take it up quickly and use it when soil moisture levels are low, and soil temperatures are warmer. Keep the application well away (at least 50 metres) from waterways.
Apply it as thinly and as evenly as possible. Do not dump large piles of muck onto paddocks. This creates a concentrated patch of effluent, or ponding, which is prohibited.
Following a sentencing for a death at a South Canterbury agribusiness, WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds.
Zespri’s final forecast for the 2024/25 season suggests the kiwifruit marketer is on track to meet its $4.5 billion global revenue target.
Horticulture New Zealand says the country’s ability to provide fresh, healthy vegetables is at risk unless the Government makes growing them a permitted activity.
An exciting feature of this year's Northland Field Days will be the new outdoor zone.
While it has been a great spring and summer for farmers, soil moisture levels in the Waikato are now plummeting as the dry February starts to bite.
A Franklin dairy farmer has inched closer to national victory after being crowned Northland’s top young farmer.
OPINION: Is Canterbury milk processor Synlait back in business?
OPINION: The fate of methane inhibitor Bovaer in NZ farming is still up in the air.