Roll out of Soil Nutrient Health Scheme to begin

The programme is to be phased out over the coming months: the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) is the agency co-ordinating the full implementation of the new measure.

SNHS was announced by farm minister Edwin Poots MLA in March of this year.

Due to the scale and complexity of the scheme, it will operate on a zonal basis with soil sample collection starting in the south east of Northern Ireland later this year. The remaining three zones will be completed by 2026.

All farms eligible for Zone 1 sampling will receive a letter from AFBI over the coming days, inviting them to join the scheme.

The notification will also include instructions on the registration process, which opens on 
the 27th May, and can be accessed online via the Government Gateway.

This free service will provide participating farmers with: detailed information on the nutrient status of their soils; run-off risk maps for nutrient loss to waterbodies for each field sampled; estimates of carbon stored in their soils and as above ground biomass plus training on the interpretation of soil nutrient reports and generation of farm nutrient plans.

Soil sampling will be undertaken by AFBI’s appointed sub-contractors, RPS Group, between November 2022 and February 2023 with fully accredited results available within 4-6 weeks.

When the farm has been sampled and the soil reports received, each farmer will be invited to participate in CAFRE training and nutrient management planning.

The SNHS is one of the most comprehensive regional soil nutrient sampling schemes to be 
undertaken anywhere in the world.

It will enable Northern Ireland farmers to optimise crop nutrient applications, assess on-farm carbon stocks and build farm resilience.

Importantly, participating in the SNHS will also be a requirement for farmers accessing some future agricultural support schemes like the Farm Sustainability Payment and Farming with Nature.

Farmers are encouraged to register early to take advance of this free opportunity.

The information provided by the scheme will allow farmers to target the application of crop nutrients to their soils, reduce nutrient waste and help increase farm profitability.

Reductions in excess and better placement of nutrients should, in turn, lead to a decrease in losses to water bodies and thereby contribute to achieving the targets of the Nutrient Action Programme.

It will also provide a baseline assessment of farm carbon stocks in soils and hedgerows and contribute to the transition to Net Zero farming in Northern Ireland. For farms located in areas of basalt soils, research will assess nutrient interactions and grass nutrient uptake to produce refined fertiliser recommendations specific to these soils.

Speaking at the launch event, Head of Environment and Marine Sciences Division, Pieter-Jan Schön said: “Building on the success and experience gained from previous soil nutrient management pilot schemes that AFBI have delivered for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in recent years, I have full confidence that the AFBI team will ensure that farmers across Northern Ireland receive maximum benefit from this funding.”