Conditionality refers to a set of baseline conditions, linked to the basic income support for sustainability (BISS) scheme and other area-based support measures. These are criteria, which must be adhered to.
Teagasc has confirmed that, as part of conditionality, tillage farmers are required to take measures to establish green cover as soon as possible post harvest.
This is to prevent the pollution of waters caused by nitrates.
Shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop/catch crop must take place within 10 days of the baling of straw or, where straw is chopped, within 10 days of harvest.
In all circumstances, shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop/catch crop must take place within 14 days of harvesting.
Situations where shallow cultivation is not required include land destined for winter combinable crops, which are sown before October 31, and certified organic holdings.
Requirements
Late-harvested crops are also exempt from the shallow cultivation measure. These include: beet, potatoes, maize and beans/cereals harvested after September 15.
In addition, a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 25% of cereal land on each holding shall not be subject to shallow cultivation post harvest to avoid possible negative impacts on farmland bird species.
Unless a crop has subsequently been established, this land shall not be subject to the use of any herbicides until at least the beginning of February in the following year.
Shallow cultivation is only applicable to counties: Carlow; Cork; Dublin; Kildare; Kilkenny; Laois; Louth; Meath; Offaly; Tipperary; Waterford; Westmeath; Wexford; and, Wicklow.
Shallow cultivation should allow the establishment of an appropriate level of green cover to take up nutrients remaining in the soil post-harvest, thereby reducing the risk to water quality.
Soil consolidation, as an alternative to shallow cultivation, may apply in situations following oilseed rape or where the land parcel identification system (LPIS) parcel has been certified by a farm advisory system (FAS)-approved advisor as containing certain grass weeds (brome species and black grass).
Last year, the 14-day period allowed to complete all relevant shallow cultivation work was extended to 28 days.
The decision was taken in light of the very poor harvest weather conditions, which were impacting at that time.
If soil consolidation is practised as an alternative to shallow cultivation, it must also take place within 14 days of harvesting.
Farmers must avoid cultivations where water flowing over the land surface can enter a watercourse.