Control of the use of plant protection products and yard situations
Starting in February, the annual livestock farming inspections and application inspections of spraying on plots of land will commence with the aim of protecting surface water quality. Until the end of June, our inspectors will check approximately 475 businesses, including livestock farms, arable farms, and flower bulb growers.
Sometimes, manure and animal feed residues remain on livestock farms. When it rains, these manure and nutrients can wash into ditches, disrupting water quality. Careless spraying of plots to combat weeds and diseases in ornamental and vegetable cultivation can contaminate surface water with crop protection products. HHNK supervision activities in order to improve water quality in collaboration with the agricultural sector.
Land situation and wastewater
In addition to conducting inspections, the supervisors provide practical tips and advice on site. For example, they advise on how to properly cover animal feed storage areas and keep the yard clean. Together with the livestock farmer, they assess whether sufficient measures have been taken to prevent manure and animal feed residues from ending up in surface water. They also check how the discharge of milk rinse water is regulated and whether the storage of manure and animal feed is properly organized. Another checkpoint is the discharge of wastewater from ancillary activities such as a small campsite or a cheese factory.
Buffer strips
Spreading manure is another point of attention. Fertilizers that end up in surface water can cause significant algae growth. This is detrimental to fish and aquatic plants. To prevent manure moisture from ending up in the water, farmers are required to maintain a buffer strip, a strip along the ditch. Measured from the edge of the ditch embankment, this buffer strip varies from a minimum of 1 metre a maximum of 5 metre. This depends on the type of ditch that runs alongside the plot. The type of ditch can be found on the website of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Cultivation-free zones
The water board still finds crop protection products in surface water, including the active ingredient pendimethalin in recent years. This substance is found in weed killers such as Wing P and Stomp, among others. The measurement results for crop protection products in surface water can be found in the annual report of the National Monitoring Network for Crop Protection Products in Agriculture and Horticulture.
The Plant Protection Products and Biocides Act (Wgb) includes stricter standards for a number of plant protection products in order to protect adjacent surface water. One measure is the use of a wider cultivation-free zone. Growers and contractors must pay extra attention to this during and after the application of plant protection products on the plots.
Clean water in everyone's interest
Clean surface water is important for everyone, including the agricultural sector. The Dutch government's Environmental Activities Decree (Bal) and the Wgb contain regulations to prevent the discharge of pollutants into surface water. It is up to the water board and other supervisory authorities to supervision this and, where necessary, to warn and fine agricultural entrepreneurs.
Questions about measures for spraying plots of land or livestock farms? Please contact HHNK via handhaver@hhnk.nl or via the general telephone number: 072-582 8282.
