Inclusive of amendments of 30 September 2008, of 15 May 2009
ACTION 9: Produce tillage crops respecting environmental principles
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ACTION 9: Produce tillage crops respecting environmental principlesTillage land, especially when intermixed with grassland, provides an important habitat for many seed-eating birds such as larks and finches and is also a safe habitat for ground-nesting birds. Objective: To encourage tillage farming practices and production methods that reflect the increasing concern for conservation, landscape protection and wider environmental problems Scope and actions: Tillage land is an important habitat for many seed-eating birds, e.g. larks and finches, and ground nesting-birds. The planner must assess the current management techniques for crops grown on the farm and prescribe how straw and stubble must be managed, and prescribe for the establishment of uncultivated margins. Relevant baseline: GAEC prohibits the depletion of soil organic matter, the erosion of soils and damage to soil structure. GAEC does not require an uncultivated margin to be maintained. Core actions: Straw and stubble burning is prohibited. Farmers must leave an uncultivated field margin of 1.5 metres from all permanent field boundaries and three metres from watercourses. Monitor soil management plan. Amount: €38.20 per hectare for arable farms – core action not applicable to grassland farms; therefore no claim Follow up: Compliance will be checked during on-farm audits, and non-compliance will result in application of penalties. Additional biodiversity options
Objective: To provide an over wintering crop cover, which will utilise residual soil nutrients following the harvest of a cereal, or oil, seed crop Core Action: Establish a sown green cover crop, which is ploughed in as a green manure in spring.
Amount: € 25 per hectare Baseline: Under GAEC, green cover can be established through natural regeneration or by sowing grass or a winter cereal crop, which can be subsequently harvested.
Objective: To provide food and safe nesting sites for ground-nesting birds Core action: Maintain as set-aside a minimum of 0.3 hectares or 10 per cent of the farm, whichever is the greater, subject to a maximum of four hectares. A minimum of 25 per cent of the area set aside must remain unmown each year, rotating this unmown area annually. Mowing of set-aside must be carried out in a bird-friendly fashion, i.e. from the centre out, and pesticide use is restricted to spot treatment of persistent perennial weeds. Application of fertilisers not permitted. Amount: €23 per hectare Baseline: Under GAEC, all set-aside lands can be mown using standard mowing techniques and practices. Fertilisers can be applied in accordance with crop requirements. Pesticides can be used as necessary.
Objective: To create different types of environmentally friendly crop margins, thus creating more space for the characteristic plants and animals associated with arable farms to survive. Core action: Farmers must maintain three metre conservation margins (i.e. 1.5 metres wider that core measure requirement) on specific arable fields identified in the REPS plan. These margins must remain in situ for the duration of the contract.
Amount: €23 per hectare Baseline: There is no requirement under GAEC to establish or maintain uncultivated field margins in tillage crops.
Objective: To contribute to the conservation of seed-eating bird species by encouraging the production of low-input spring cereals in grassland-dominated farms. Core action: Farmers must establish a spring cereal crop on 10 per cent of the holding subject to a maximum of two hectares. The crop cannot be undersown with grass or clover, nor can it be harvested as whole crop silage. Amount: €37 per hectare Baseline: GAEC requirement is to maintain a minimum level of land activity that permits agricultural production to continue. There is no GAEC requirement to establish spring cereals on grassland farms. This option is only available on grassland farms, which have no existing tillage enterprise.
Objective: To encourage the use of minimum tillage practices, thereby improving soil structure and increasing soil organic matter. This will also contribute to the protection of soil biota. Core action: Farmers must establish cereals using minimum tillage techniques.
Amount: €23 per hectare Baseline: Under Irish conditions minimum cultivation techniques are not necessary to meet GAEC requirements. ACTION 10: Undertake training in environmentally friendly farming practices Objective: To provide participants with information on the environmental benefits arising from agri-environmental actions and clarification on all the relevant scheme requirements Scope and actions: Participants are required to familiarise themselves with the agri-environmental scheme requirements on an ongoing basis. Detailed documents are provided to each participant on entry into the scheme and there is an onus on all participants to inform themselves of any changes in the regulations governing GAEC or Statutory Management Requirements of the Single Payment Scheme which may require an amendment of individual farm plans. Relevant baseline: There is no GAEC requirement to attend compulsory training associated with participation in agri-environment measures. Core actions: Acquire the knowledge and skills to comply with the core requirements of REPS. Participants must attend a formal training course provided for under RDP, Measure 111 before the end of Year 2 of their REPS contract. Amount: €4.40 per hectare for continuous updating of knowledge and skills to participate effectively in the scheme Follow up: Verification of attendance at mandatory training course under Measure 111 will be checked before payment is made. Non-attendance will result in the freezing of payment until the commitment is honoured. ACTION 11: Prepare, monitor and update agri-environmental plan in consultation with planner and keep such farm and environmental records as may be prescribed Objectives: To record management information and practices undertaken throughout each year of the REPS contract in the prescribed Agri-environmental Record Sheets. Scope and actions: The timely recording of relevant management information has long been considered the keystone for effective farm management. Use of records as a management tool will result in a consequent improvement in the efficiency and viability of the farm unit. The implementation cost of this commitment to the farmer is the time and cost involved in having a farm-specific plan prepared and maintaining records over and above SPS requirements. The keeping and production of agri-environmental records by the farmer is a key part of on-farm compliance inspections. Relevant Baseline: Comply with annual record keeping under GAEC. Core actions: The REPS participants must keep annual agri-environmental records by recording details of the core actions and commitments required under the agri-environmental farm plan. Records required include:
Amount: €16.50 per hectare Follow up: Compliance will be checked during on-farm audits, and non-compliance will result in application of penalties. Directory: media -> migration media -> The milk carton kids media -> Events Date and Location media -> The Gilded Age: The First Generation of Historians by H. Wayne Morgan University of Oklahoma, April 18, 1997 media -> Analysis of Law in the United Kingdom pertaining to Cross-Border Disaster Relief Prepared by: For the 30 June 2010 Foreword media -> Cuba fieldcourse 2010 migration -> Submissions received from the public consultation on a proposal to increase the allocation to the Celtic Sea Herring Sentinel Fishery for 2016 Proposal migration -> Background Paper Food, Beverages, Nutrition & pcf migration -> Review of Replacement Capacity Requirements under Sea-fishing Boat Licensing Policy migration -> Of the burren farming for conservation programme migration -> Of the burren farming for conservation programme Download 5.36 Mb. Share with your friends:
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