Dales hay meadows: Force fed fertiliser?

THE UK countryside is being force-fed dangerous levels of fertiliser, according to a new report from a leading conservation charity.

Levels of nitrogen in the environment have doubled and the amount of phosphorus trebled since the industrial revolution according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

These huge rises have been caused by the increased use of inorganic fertiliser on farms, the burning of fossil fuels by cars and industry and by the presence of household detergents in sewage.

The report pulls together the evidence from a number of scientific studies, which point to nutrient pollution as having an effect on wildlife.

It warns that we are 'altering the fertility of the countryside' by continuing to allow huge amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus to enter the environment. The number and variety of plants and animals is changing as a result and many species are under pressure.

Rob Cunningham, the RSPB's head of water policy, said: "Using the nutrient cycle wisely is vital for agriculture, industry and the environment.

"In recent years huge strides have been made to improve the countryside for wildlife. The amount of nitrogen used on farmland has fallen from its high point in the 1980s and the water industry has invested heavily in improving sewage treatment.

We are disappointed the RSPB has chosen such a sensationalist title for this report...

Peter Kendall - NFU President

"In addition, farmers are doing much to improve the environment, not least through the work made possible by agri-environment schemes.

"However, this report shows there are still very serious problems, which need to be tackled by government, farmers and industry. Nutrient pollution is environmentally damaging and expensive to clean-up. We must do more to reduce it."

That is not a message that many farmers across the Yorkshire Dales will want to hear. The intensification of agriculture sees many of them using Nitrogen Fertiliser to force their grass to grow quickly enough to ensure a second crop of silage in the late summer. For many it is the only way to make their land viable and ensure enough fodder to see their stock through the winter months.

Fertiliser now accounts for about 60% of the nitrogen and about 80% of the phosphorus used by man, yet farmer's leaders have accused the RSPB of sensationalism with their report.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: "We are disappointed the RSPB has chosen such a sensationalist title for this report and portrayed nutrients as 'dangerous'.

Red backed shrike: under threat from fertiliser say RSPB
Photo: Mike Richards/rspb-images.com

"Nutrients are essential for food production and farmers, like no other group, know their value. We need a serious and measured debate of this issue, with action to match.

"This is a forward-looking industry that is embracing change at a rate never seen previously. We would welcome the RSPB to join us in sustaining the change that we're already seeing.

The NFU adds that while the report claims levels of nitrogen in the environment have doubled since the industrial revolution, in the same time the UK's population has increased roughly six-fold and that the success and efficiency of farmers in the UK has also meant that large amounts of space have been made for wildlife and habitat conservation.