The Council of Ministers has approved, at the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a royal decree that incorporates new regulations and the simplification of some measures of the royal decree on sustainable nutrition of agricultural soils of December 27, 2022.
This new regulation responds to the Government’s commitment to advance the rational fertilisation of crops, with the strategic objective of increasing or maintaining the productivity of agricultural soils. At the same time, it seeks to reduce the environmental impact of the application of fertilisers and other sources of nutrients or organic matter, in line with the objectives of the European strategy “From Farm to Table”.
After more than a year of application, the reform of the royal decree on sustainable nutrition of agricultural soils seeks to facilitate the implementation of certain technical aspects, reinforce coherence with other regulations (such as the Law on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy), or sectoral autonomous provisions and clarify certain provisions.
To this end, the articles relating to the farm register, the fertilisation plan and the use of manure and organic fertilisers are being amended, ministerial sources said.
Specifically, certain incentives are included for the use of the digital notebook, since it will not be mandatory, and the information of the fertilization plan that must be included in the operating notebook is detailed, one of the key points of which is the determination of the dose.
In addition to incorporating clearer wording of the provisions relating to the reduction of ammonia emissions, other technologies are taken into account that can reduce the risk of leaching (extraction of a substance from a solid material).
Furthermore, the obligations related to the use of manure, fertilizers and other organic materials are made more flexible, new wastes are added to the list of those that are permitted and their requirements are modified, in line with the market and the criteria of safety and agronomic efficiency.
In this regard, the extension of the period during which manure stacking is permitted from 5 to 10 days is noteworthy, which can reach 20 days in the case of composted or digested material. The period for burying manure and other organic materials is also extended to 24 hours.
These last two issues are part of the 43 measures approved by the Government to support the agricultural sector to improve the situation of farmers and ranchers, agreed with the organizations Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA) and Union of Farmers and Ranchers Unions.
Rational soil fertilization is not only important for improving the environmental performance of agriculture, but is also essential for the efficiency and profitability of agriculture in a context of high fertilizer prices.
