Criteria 2.4: Criteria 2.4: Practices are adopted to prevent and mitigate the negative impact of the use of agrochemicals
2.4.6 Practices are adopted to minimise the use of synthetic fertilisers and enhance the use of alternatives
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Practices to minimise the use of synthetic fertilisers include:
analysis and management of soil conditions as per 2.3
preference for organic fertilisers and by-products available at farm level
use of synthetic fertilisers with care, through measures such as:
a) preference for low-toxicity synthetic fertilizer
b) use of fertilisers sold by authorized vendors, in original and sealed packaging
c) application in such a way that nutrients become available when and where crops need them
d) application respects threshold levels, application intervals and conditions advised by labels, scientific information or competent experts
e) handling according to the label, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), or as recommended by an official national organisation or a competent technician. If the MSDS has no information on re-entry levels, minimum restricted entry interval is 48 hours for WHO class II products and 12 hours for other products
f) regular calibration and maintenance of equipment for application
g) creation of buffer zones to limit cross contamination
use of synthetic fertilisers only if nutrients are still lacking after the use of alternatives
Field Operators follow one or more of the above listed practices and/or any other practices with results relevant in their context to reduce the use of fertilisers. Practices are suitable when they result in an improvement of soil fertility and in a reduction in the use of synthetic fertilisers.
For compliance (score 2) at least the practices under the first three (3) bullet points and the third bullet point's sub-points a) through g) are followed.
OaS provides financial, knowledge and other types of support when field operators do not have sufficient resources to identify and implement suitable practices. The UEBT agrochemicals register can be used to keep track of the practices implemented and soil conditions. The UEBT BAP Monitoring tool can be used to report information on the progress in reducing the use of synthetic fertilisers and improving soil conditions.
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DOCUMENTATION
Plans to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and improve soil fertility as well as updates about their implementation can be used as evidence to assess compliance. The UEBT agrochemicals register and the UEBT BAP monitoring tool filled out can be used to assess compliance.
INTERVIEWS
Conversations with relevant informants about their soil fertility management practices can be used as evidence to assess compliance.
OBSERVATION
Witnessing the implementation of soil fertility management practices can be used as evidence to assess compliance. Scoring guidance
0 - No practices to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers are identified and implemented
1 - Practices are identified which are relevant to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers considering the context and soil conditions but are not implemented
2 - Most of the identified practices are implemented by most of the field operators, are suitable to contribute to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers, but improvements and/or other practices can be introduced to further reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and improve soil fertility, and/or their implementation can be further spread
3 - All identified practices are implemented by all field operators and are suitable to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and improve soil fertility
N/A - in the justification, please explain why
Score 2 to be reached by second year
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Importance
Critical stepwise
ApplicabilityCultivationOaSField operators |