Page 36 - BCHNews-122023-Web

36 WC DAIRY NEWS a FALL 2023
36 WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2023
10 things you need to know...
about the Code of Practice
for Agricultural Environmental
Management (AEM Code)
1: Soil testing is required
If you apply manure or fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus, you are required to have post- harvest nitrate and phosphorus soil tests for your fields from within the last three years to help inform your nutrient application rates.
Fields that have 100 kg nitrate/ hectare (89 lb nitrate/acre) must be tested again the following year. Records of soil testing must be kept for at least five years, but do not need to be submitted anywhere.
2: Records for nutrient application and storage should be kept for at least five years.
Nutrient storage and application records need to be kept on-farm for at least five years and may be requested during an inspection by provincial environmental protection staff.
The most relevant records for dairy farms include:
- Number of animals and the amount of manure generated annually on farm. Records should indicate how much manure is used on-farm and the amounts of any manure exported to other operations.
- If manure leaves the farm operation, records are required to document the overall amount, and if in lots of 5m3 (6.5 yards3) or greater, the receiver’s information must be included.
- If you have manure temporarily stored in the field for two weeks or more, weekly records must be kept indicating the location and that
you monitor for signs of runoff and
leachate. This rule also applies to temporary field storage of other agricultural by-products (such as compost or wood chips).
- Records detailing the application of nutrient sources (manure, compost, fertilizer that contains N and/or P, soil conditioners, and digestate) are required on an on-going basis.
- Records of crop yields and soil test results must be kept to show that application rates are informed by yield targets and account for soil nutrient availability.
3: Follow the nutrient storage rules that apply to all farms.
There are rules regarding the storage of manure and other nutrient sources, both liquid and solid:
- All leachate, runoff, wastewater, and solids must be managed to prevent escape from their storage structure or location. If they do, they must be prevented from entering a watercourse, crossing the property boundary, or going below the water table. All materials must be stored in a manner to deter access by wildlife or domestic pets.
- Temporary field-stored manure and compost piles are meant to be temporary (seven months or less). If longer, a permanent structure must be used for storage or the materials must be either applied or transported off-farm.
- Change where your temporary field storage piles are located year to year. Once an area is used for temporary field storage, the same site cannot be used again for three years.
- Monitor temporary field-stored piles at least once a week and keep records of monitoring.
- Keep temporary field-stored piles
off of coarse-textured soil if you are in a vulnerable aquifer recharge area.
- In high-precipitation areas, temporary field storage piles need to be covered from October 1st to April 1st.
- Liquid manure may be stored only in a permanent structure and must have 30cm of freeboard.
- If you are located in a vulnerable aquifer recharge area and have
an earthen lagoon, it needs to be inspected for leaks by a Qualified Professional within five years of the previous inspection.
- If you are modifying your existing permanent storage structure for liquid manure, or planning on building a new one, the structure must be designed by a Qualified Professional and constructed according to that design.
4: Follow the nutrient spreading rules that apply to all farms.
In all regions, the following rules apply:
- Nutrients must not be applied to land covered with standing water, snow, on frozen ground, or in excess of crop needs. The definition of snow or frozen ground within the Code: you cannot spread on ground in which the top 5cm of soil is frozen so as to be impenetrable to manually operated equipment, or a field having at least 5cm of ice or snow over at least 50% of its area.
- Nutrients must not be applied during high-risk conditions.
- There are setbacks required when spreading fertilizer and manure near watercourses and drinking water sources. The following setbacks now apply:
• Setbacks from a watercourse or ditch that drains into one:
• Keep commercial fertilizer and
injected manure 1.5 m away
• Keep surface applied manure 3 m
away
• Setbacks from a drinking water source, such as a well or a surface water diversion point:
• Keep commercial fertilizer 3 m away
• Keep manure and other nutrient
sources 30 m away
5: Determine if your farm is located within any of the three high-risk areas
Some Code requirements are based on the farm’s location. If you are
in a vulnerable aquifer recharge area, a phosphorus-affected area, and/or a high-precipitation area, then additional requirements will apply. You can find the locations
of vulnerable aquifer recharge areas, phosphorus-affected and high-precipitation areas using an interactive map located on the Gov BC website.
6: For farms located within a high- precipitation area, follow the additional nutrient storage and spreading rules.
In high-precipitation areas, the following rules apply:
- Application of manure, compost,
or fertilizer containing N or P is
not permitted during November, December or January, so plan ahead in the fall and be prepared with enough storage for manure.
- If you wish to spread manure, compost, or fertilizer containing N
or P in October, February or March, a risk assessment needs to be completed and noted in your on- farm records before spreading. The
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