Claire Mooney on Water Quality Tips

Why It Matters

Meeting the new 2028 slurry‑storage rules protects water quality and avoids costly penalties, while the recommended low‑cost actions enhance farm sustainability and eligibility for financial incentives.

Key Takeaways

• Store silage bales at least 20 m from watercourses to protect water quality.
• Apply 20 kg sulfur per hectare to boost nitrogen efficiency.
• Maintain 5 m slurry buffer zones to intercept nutrients before drains.
• Repair silage pit cracks with mortar and plastic liners promptly.
• Plan medium‑term slurry storage upgrades using advisors, TAMs, and capital allowances.

Summary

The video features Claire Mooney outlining practical water‑quality measures for dairy and mixed farms, organized into immediate, medium‑term and long‑term actions. She emphasizes simple on‑the‑ground steps that can be implemented within weeks to protect newly granted derigated water rights. Key insights include keeping silage bales at least 20 m from any watercourse, applying 20 kg of sulfur per hectare to improve nitrogen use efficiency, fencing streams with a 1.5 m setback and providing alternative livestock water, and establishing a minimum 5 m slurry buffer zone to intercept nutrients before they reach drains. Medium‑term recommendations focus on the upcoming 20 % increase in slurry‑storage capacity, urging farmers to consult advisors, explore TAMs and accelerated capital allowances, and consider modest infrastructure upgrades. Long‑term strategies involve either expanding storage facilities or modestly reducing livestock numbers, alongside managing gray‑water runoff with settlement tanks or willow filter beds. Mooney cites specific examples: “20 kg sulfur per hectare maximises nitrogen efficiency,” and explains that the 5 m buffer “acts as an interception area for nutrients before they reach the drain.” She details pit‑repair techniques—cleaning, dampening surfaces and applying a three‑part sand to one‑part cement mortar, plus plastic liners—to prevent silage effluent leakage. She also highlights low‑cost interventions such as water bars on farm roads and curbing concrete yards to limit rainwater entering slurry tanks. The guidance is timed for compliance with the October 1, 2028 regulations, which will tighten slurry‑storage requirements and nitrate‑leaching limits. Implementing these measures protects water quality, safeguards derigated water allocations, and reduces the risk of regulatory penalties, while leveraging available financial incentives to improve farm sustainability.

Original Description

Claire Mooney, Catchment Coordinator for the Suir, joins Stuart Childs to discuss practical tips for farmers in relation to improving water quality.

Claire first explains immediate on-farm actions to improve environmental compliance and efficiency, including better silage management, protecting waterways with fencing and alternative drinking points, improving slurry and effluent handling, using sulphur correctly, and how clover can reduce chemical nitrogen use.

Claire discusses the need for farmers to prepare for tighter slurry storage rules in 2028 by assessing storage capacity now, working with advisors, exploring TAMS grants and capital allowances, and planning investments early rather than waiting until compliance becomes urgent.

Finally, Claire stresses that small operational improvements can make a significant difference, such as separating soiled water from slurry, reducing rainwater entering tanks, fixing leaks, cleaning yards efficiently, and redesigning cow traffic areas to reduce unnecessary slurry storage demand and avoid a need to reduce stock numbers on foot of the new regulations that may be avoidable. 

She also emphasises the importance of using slurry well and distributing it across the whole farm to reduce losses.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com (https://www.lastcastmedia.com/)