Notice board

The small splash plates will spread the slurry over a greater surface area of the ground and this will increase nitrogen losses to air in the form of ammonia emissions. Increased ammonia emissions also mean that less nitrogen is retained on the soil for grass/plant growth, resulting in lower nutrient use efficiency.

Therefore, the addition of small splash plates on the end of pipes on dribble bars/trailing hose spreaders would not be compliant with the General Bind Rule (GBR) 18 which requires slurry and liquid digestate to be applied using precision equipment. By precision equipment the GBR’s means equipment capable of low emission, accurate application techniques including a dribble bar or band spreader, trailing hose, trailing shoe or direct injection. Dribble bars, trailing hose and trailing shoe methods spread slurry and liquid digestate in narrow bands/lines on the ground which reduces the surface area of the slurry or liquid digestate exposed to the air. This reduces ammonia emissions and retains more nitrogen on the soil for grass/plant growth.

The GBR requires precision equipment to be used by all spreading contractors, dairy farmers milking more than 100 cows, beef farmers with more than 200 livestock units and anyone applying liquid digestate on land. By 1st January 2027 all Scottish livestock farmers producing slurry must use precision equipment for the application of slurry.

More informaiton can be found here on the Farming & Water Scotland Website  - https://www.farmingandwaterscotland.org/know-the-rules/new-general-binding-rules-on-silage-and-slurry-whats-changed/new-general-binding-rules-on-silage-slurry-faqs/