Part A

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION FARM ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

I INTRODUCTION

1.      Farmers as well as all other people are obliged to protect the environment. This is because agricultural production is based on its natural resources that must be reasonably managed. Environment protection must be also based on the avoidance of bad practices, which may cause either pollution or harmful changes in the landscape. Although many administrative-legal documents are intended to protect natural and landscape resources, everyday practices leave a lot to be desired. Firstly, farmers need to gain additional basic knowledge in order to develop a balance between the pace of agricultural development and applied practices. The effects that agriculture has on the environment vary in different parts of the country. This results not only from differences in production level but also from the types of plant cover and traditions. Unreasonable use of natural resources may make agriculture difficult to develop. The Code is a kind of guide that is meant to show farmers how to avoid using improper treatments which may lead to unsafe conditions for people and animals and which may limit the possibilities for plant growth or the diversity of living organisms.

 

 II. LAW PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

2.      The majority of sections in the Code comply with the existing Polish law as regards environmental protection but they are also adjusted to the laws of the European Union and to the International Conventions which Poland has signed. The basic legal regulations are as follows:

§         Act on protecting agricultural and forest lands of 1995 according to which many management, protection and improvement works in rural areas may be financially supported by the Fund of Protecting Agricultural and Forest Lands or by the National Fund of Environment Protection and Water Economy [10];

§         Act on animal protection of 1997 [14];

§         European Convention on protection of breeding animals of 1978 [23];

§         Convention on protecting biological diversity of 1992 [24];

 The Code presents legal regulations on environmental protection and thus reduces the risk of breaking the law that applies both agricultural production and spatial management.

 

III AGRICULTURAL FARM WITHIN A LAND LANDSCAPE

 

     4.   Therefore it is essential to prevent emissions of odorous substances to the atmosphere. Similarly, the release of particles of dust, soil, mineral fertilisers and pesticides into the air that may be easily carried for long distances must be prevented [8 b].

5.      The appearance of a farm should match with the vicinity, and the farmer must feel responsible for the purity of the landscape and environment, which he directly affects [8, 10].

6.      Farmhouses should be located and arranged so that they are safe for the farmer's family, people working on the farm and neighbors.

 

A farmyard

7.      All construction, extension and modernisation operations should be based on solutions that can limit the negative effects that farm management has on the natural environment, and should be aimed at making the landscape more diverse.

 9.      The works mentioned above are as follows:

  §         land consolidation aimed at improving the structural area of the farm and the reasonable arrangement of fields,

    §         keeping drainage and anti-erosion equipment efficient, 

§         recultivation of lands devastated and degraded as a result of natural calamities and so on,

§         adjustment of expected system of land use within an area to the natural conditions. 

 This may mean that some land has to be excluded from agricultural production and devoted for approach roads or other elements of technical infrastructure (for example water tanks protecting from flood or fire. Water may be also stored for agricultural production) [2,4,10].

 

SPATIAL ORGANISATION OF A FARM

10.      The planning of a farm ought to be started by marking the places for the house and farm buildings in such a way that all the legal regulations relating to the structure and management are obeyed.  

12.  Farmhouses must be arranged appropriately, especially as regards lighting, ventilation, fire protection and disposal of sewage and wastes. They should be equipped so that they are protected from air, water and soil pollution [8 b].

13.  Locked tanks for keeping liquid excrements and wastes should be at least:

§         15 m from houses and places for storing and processing food,

§         4 m from the boundary of an adjacent farm (parcel),

§         5 m from warehouses and silos [8 b].

14.  Liquid excrements and wastes kept in open tanks (with capacities less than 200 m³)    or in dung pits should be located at least:

§         30 m from houses,

§         50 m from places for storing or processing food,

§         10 m from warehouses and silos,

§         4 m from the boundary of an adjacent farm (parcel) [8 b].

15.  Agricultural buildings that may be burdensome (dusts, odours) for the environment      should be situated on the lee side of any houses and separated from them with green belts (trees, bushes) [8 b].

17.  Farm arrangement should be an important element in sanitary programmes conducted within ecological policy by local (communal) authorities. As far as it is possible, a farmyard should have a hardened surface (e.g. concrete) and rainwater should be diverted either by local discharge channels or system of open ditches.

18.  A farmyard should be divided into living and farming parts. As regards the farming part, there should be: animal runs and fowl-yards, hardened areas for keeping all agricultural equipment and other devices and containers for litter, organic and inorganic wastes (ash, gravel, etc.) 

19.  It is extremely important to locate any wells in the correct places and to adjust their structure to the underlying geology. The type and depth of a well depends on water demands, and seasonal changes of water level. It is also necessary to know the real hydrological conditions and analyse the direction of ground water flow

Attention! 

 

 21.  All buildings located within a farm as well as a yard should be kept clean and tidy. That is the most effective method providing water of good quality.

22.  A well which is no longer used should not become a dump but should be filled up, preferably with clay.

23.  According to the present geological law, each new well must be designed by an authorised hydrogeologist [7].

 

 

 

 

 

 A dug well, sunk and protected properly

24.  A well may become polluted with substances deriving from the farm (the most threatening ones). Therefore it must be situated at least:

§         7.5 m from the border of the parcel or a roadside ditch,

§         15 m from livestock houses, silos and tanks for domestic sewage,

§         10 m from a house,

§         70 m from a dung pit with a waterproof bottom (on sandy soils), and

§         60 - 70 m from a field on which sludge from a house septic tank is being oozed [8 a].

25.  Each new well should be registered in the Department of Environmental Protection of the Voivodship Office. Such a registration makes it possible to conduct periodical analyses on water quality [7].

 

MANAGEMENT OF LANDS WITHIN A FARM

 

 

27.  Therefore the use of various agricultural lands within a farm should be appropriate for the  ground water level and land inclination:

§         there should be a meadow if the depth to ground water is in the range 40 to 60 cm,

§         areas where the depth to ground water is in the range 60 - 80 cm should be alternately cut and used as pastures,

§         arable lands should be located on places, where the depth to ground water is greater than 100 cm,

§         land with slope greater than 12° should be planted with trees or grass,

§         land with slope greater than 20° should not be used for agricultural production from the economical point of view. Such land must be afforested or planted with trees. 

28.  Part of the agricultural land may be rotationally excluded from production and kept fallow. However, such areas must be permanently covered with plants (best of all with grass), which is cut at least once a year (except during the bird breeding season), leaving biomass as mulch.

29.  Areas playing various roles and being differently used should be separated from each other and have access roads, suitable for moving machines and devices and for driving cattle.

30.  It is necessary to divide arable land into fields, if possible of similar size and agricultural suitability; their number should correspond with the crop rotation planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 Possible arrangements of fields

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31.  Each farm is obliged to have a situation plan (drawn to scale) and a register of each type of agricultural land as well as its division into fields.

 

IV FARM MANAGEMENT

32.  A farm can be efficient only if it is properly managed and runs book-keeping. At the moment accountancy needs to be kept by a farms using credits for "young farmers" [9].

34.  In order to make the optimum decisions within a farm, its owner should gather the following information :

§         an up-to-date soil-agricultural map showing the area of each field and the results of analyses of soil reaction and its fertility,

§         documentation cards for particular fields and crops. Such cards should give information on rates and dates of  applications of  organic and mineral fertilisers (Annex 1) as well as pesticides applied (Annex 2),

§         fertilisation plans for various fields (Annex 3),

§         documentation cards for animal production (nutrition rates, effectiveness, veterinary treatments and so on),

§         lists of inputs and outputs,

§         a list of one’s own funds and sources of potential additional finance.

35.  Each farmer carrying commercial production should be interested in implementing both a book-keeping system and a record of agricultural treatments. Such a register can help a farmer to improve farm management.

 

 ORGANISATION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION

36.  For environmental reasons, sustainable development of rural areas seems to be the most profitable. It means that:

38.  Organisation of production within a farm depends on site conditions, labour available, farmers' interests and skills, and profitability of various crops.

40.  In order to provide plants with optimum conditions for growth and development, it is necessary to plan reasonable crop rotations that should consist of at least 3 plant species on light soils and 4 - 5 on heavy soils.

41.  Before planning a crop rotation it is essential to undertake the following activities:

§         analyse demands for own feedstuffs, which depends on the size of the cattle (or other animal) herd and its structure,

§         choose the plant species for fodder and commercial production that might possibly be cultivated under the farm site conditions,

§         calculate the amounts of fodder to be obtained from field production and permanent grasslands,

§         estimate the quantities and forms of excrements and their kinds (manure, slurry) which will be produced on the farm. 

42.  Proper selection of plant species in a crop rotation puts all agrotechnical treatments in order, increases input effectiveness, allows the preparation of a fertilisation plan, maintains soil fertility and creates optimum conditions for plant growth and development. At the same time it reduces negative effects on the natural environment.

43.  There are many benefits coming from the use of a crop rotation and hardly any threats. The latter are minimal in comparison with those from specialised rotations or monocultural cultivation.

44.  Many farms consist of agricultural land on which a crop rotation should be used, but also of permanent grasslands, wet lands and water-mud areas.

45.  The best method of grassland management is to use it to produce cut grass.

47.  Organic fertiliser produced on a farm may be reasonably managed if the stock density does not exceed 1,5 LU/ha of agricultural land (Annex 4).

48.  If animal and plant production are not closely connected with each other, then there are some difficulties in providing enough feed for animals and excrements may be improperly managed and may threaten the environment.

50.  The use of permanent grasslands involving the least environmental risks is to cut them or to use them as pastures.  Also, cattle should not be grazed in the autumn when the sward takes-up reduced amounts of nutrients.

51.  Permanent grasslands protect the environment by:

§         regulating water relations,

§         intercepting mineral nutrients leaching from the field to surface waters,

§         providing natural environments for various plants and animals.

 

 

 

 

A natural wetland area

 

 

 

 

 

ANIMAL WELFARE

 

54.  It is necessary to treat animals humanely i.e. to prepare houses having access to light and protecting animals from cold, heat and rain, to supply appropriate feed and ensure permanent access to water. 

55.  Keeping animals in yards or on pastures improves their health and productivity.

 

 

 

 

Cows in a pasture

 

 

 

 

56.  Particular farm buildings should be suited to the needs of animals, and convenient for people looking after them. There must be a possibility of evacuation in case of danger [8a].

57.  Appropriate norms of area depend on animal species and their age. If the stocking density is too high, animals may become injured [14].

58.  Appropriate means should be used to transport animals that must be properly located and ties should not constrain them [14].

59.  It is not allowed to give animals growth hormones or to fatten geese and ducks in order to obtain greasy livers [14].

60.  Animal health must be checked periodically. All veterinary and zootechnical treatments may be performed only by qualified persons in order to reduce animals' pain and stress [14].

61.  Animals may be slaughtered within a farm provided they have already lost consciousness. Under no circumstances may animals be killed when they are pregnant. Children are not allowed to take part or even help in the process [14].

 

BIODIVERSITY WITHIN AGRICULTURAL FARMS

62.  In Poland, mainly in its southern part, there are many varieties of field crops, adjusted to local conditions. Although such plants do not give high yields, the yields are stable even under unfavourable conditions. It is necessary, wherever it is possible, to encourage interested farmers to grow old plant varieties and keep local animal breeds. It is possible to grow local or old varieties in areas of low fertility. They are often well-adjusted to these low levels of fertility in contrast with new varieties which have high nutritional requirements and the production of which may increase the risk of nitrate leaching [6, 24].

63.  The aim of protection, maintenance and rational use of plant and animal communities (ecological lands) is to keep the optimum number and ensure the viability of plants and animals that are likely to become extinct [21,22,24].

 

 

 

Midfield afforestations as biogeochemical barriers

 

 

64.  Ecological lands include: natural water storages, midfield and midforest "water eyes"(small mid - field water storages), clumps of trees or bushes, wet and peat lands, dunes, boundaries, permanent marshes alongside water courses, hedges, slopes, old-river beds, and so on. Such areas are a natural habitat for unique gene resources and it is necessary to include them in a plan of spatial management and declare them in a register of farmlands [5a,6,24]. 

 

 

 

A midfield water storage reservoir

 

 

 

66.  Ecological land management is meant to:

 §         stabilise ecosystems in the vicinity,

§         reduce application of pesticides by using natural preditors i.e. beasts of prey or parasites living in a field,

§         increase the number of pollinators,

§         prevent the soil from erosion and losses of nutrients,

§         increase landscape diversity by making rural areas more attractive for recreation.

67.  In order to maintain genetic diversity, it is not allowed to burn plants on meadows, pastures, idle lands, or in ditches alongside roads and railway tracks [6].