The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has confirmed a 90% registration rate for Zone 3 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS).
Applications closed at the start of September with a final registration of 138,248 fields from 5927 farm businesses.
This figure represents 90% of fields in Zone 3, which is in line with the general update for SNHS up to this point.
Zone 3 mainly covers counties Derry and Tyrone.
Soil sample collection for the £37 million Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA)-funded scheme managed by AFBI is due to commence in Zone 3 from November 2024 until March 2025.
This activity this will also include a ‘mop-up’ of any remaining farms located in the preceding Zones 1 and 2, who have since registered online.
Senior scientist at AFBI, Alex Higgins, said: “There are currently soil sample collection routes being planned for the registered fields in Zone Three.
“The majority of fields will be sampled from November onward.
“All Zone 3 farmers will be contacted in advance of sampling by RPS Group in the coming weeks where there will be the opportunity for farmers to inform the sampling team of any fields with late slurry/manure applications.”
Higgins explained that once the “fields have been sampled farmers can expect to receive their soil sample analysis results and recommendations direct from the soil analysis contractor, NRM, within four to six weeks.
“They will subsequently be provided with access to their map-based soil nutrient results and runoff risk maps through the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme Application in their Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Government Gateway account.
“Estimates of carbon in soil and above ground biomass will be made available later in 2025/2026.”
Soil Nutrient Health Scheme
The SNHS is the largest baseline soil sampling programme of its kind ever undertaken.
Soil analysis results delivered by the scheme include: pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S), together with organic matter estimation and crop specific lime and fertiliser recommendations.
All of the information delivered by the SNHS will allow farmers to optimise the application of crop nutrients to their soils and help increase farm profitability.
This will result in a reduction in nutrient loss to water bodies thereby contributing to achieving the targets of the Nutrient Action Programme.
It will also provide a baseline assessment of farm carbon stocks in soils and hedgerow and contribute to the transition to Net Zero farming in Northern Ireland.
Participation in the SNHS will be a requirement to receive payments under future farm support schemes.
This conditionality requires that farmers participate in the SNHS and complete the CAFRE SNHS training when it is offered to them.
