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Slurry acceptance mapping of Northern Ireland for run‐off risk assessment
Author(s) -
Jordan C.,
Higgins A.,
Wright P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2007.00089.x
Subject(s) - slurry , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , soil water , hazard , growing season , environmental engineering , soil science , physical geography , geography , geotechnical engineering , geology , agronomy , ecology , biology
Using geographic information system techniques, hydrology of soil types (HOST) classes were combined with slope, rockiness, flood hazard and soil moisture deficit classes within a risk matrix to produce a slurry acceptance map for Northern Ireland (NI) on a 50 m grid. Moreover, due to the whole territory of NI being designated as a nitrate vulnerable zone, a nitrates action programme is to be implemented across the region in the near future and this is likely to restrict slurry applications to the growing season. To assess the risk classes associated with slurry applications during the growing season, an additional slurry acceptance map for NI was created in which the HOST factor was excluded from the analysis. The maps created showed that, for the period January–December, the majority (80%) of agricultural soils in NI were in the severe risk category following application of 50 m 3 ha −1 of slurry. However, this proportion was reduced to only 29% when the same volume of slurry was applied during the growing season, when the soils were not saturated and significant rainfall was not received in the period immediately after slurry application.