New regulations promote sustainable nutrition of agricultural soils – La Voz de Almería.

The Council of Ministers has approved today, at the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a new royal decree that introduces reforms in the regulations on sustainable nutrition of agricultural soils, effective from December 27, 2022. This measure reflects the Government’s commitment to promote the fertilization rational of the cropswith the aim of improving the productivity of agricultural soils and reducing the environmental impact of fertilizers and other sources of nutrients.

After more than a year of application of the original decree, this reform seeks simplify and improve technical aspectsto strengthen coherence with other regulations – such as the Law on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy – and to clarify certain provisions. The main changes include changes to the articles relating to the operating logbook, the fertilisation plan, and the use of organic manure and fertilisers.

The royal decree introduces incentives for the use of digital notebookwhich although not mandatory, will have certain advantages. In addition, the information that must be included in the fertilization plan is detailed, highlighting the determination of the dose. The provisions on the reduction of ammonia emissions have been drafted more clearly, and new technologies are considered to reduce the risk of leaching.

On the other hand, obligations on the use of manures and others organic materials with make flexibleexpanding the list of permitted waste and modifying its requirements to align with the criteria of safety and agronomic efficiency. In this regard, the period for stacking manure is extended from five to ten days, or up to twenty days if the material is composted or digested. Likewise, the period for burying manure and other organic materials is extended to 24 hours.

These reforms are part of the 43 measures approved by the Government in support of the agricultural sectorwhich seek to improve the situation of farmers and ranchers. These measures have been agreed in collaboration with the organizations Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA) and Union of Farmers and Ranchers Unions.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food stresses that rational soil fertilisation is crucial not only to improve the environmental performance of agriculture, but also to increase the efficiency and profitability of the sector, especially in a context of high fertiliser prices.