Farm management

The direct introduction of pollutants (including ammonia and substances with an adverse effect on the oxygen balance) into groundwater is prohibited.

Permanent grassland is land used permanently (for several consecutive years, normally 5 years or more) to grow herbaceous fodder, forage or energy-purpose crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (self-seeded), and which is not included in the crop rotation on the holding. The grassland can be used for grazing, mown for silage and hay or used for renewable energy production. Grassland must have fodder interest, i.e., they include vegetal species of fodder interest.

Extensive livestock farming makes use of areas of permanent grassland, and is at the origin of many environmental services, based on the functioning of agro-ecosystems and the functional management of semi-natural vegetation. If insects are to be considered as a key indicator of overall biological richness, their presence in an open landscape can be explained fundamentally by two key factors: the absence of pesticide use, which destroys them directly, and a floristic richness spread over time.

Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter- and intra-field variability in crops. PA is also sometimes referred to as precision farming. Precision agriculture uses information technology (IT) to ensure that crops and soil receive exactly what they need for optimum health and productivity.

Erosion prevention strips (Contour buffer strips) are strips of grass or a mixture of grasses and legumes that run along the contour of a farmed field. They alternate down the slope of a field with wider cropped strips.

Nutrient management plans (NMPs) are used to help farmers efficiently meet their production objectives and protect the environment. Plans provide balanced recommendations for farmers on which nutrient sources to apply and what rates they should be applied at. Use of innovative approaches to minimise nutrient release, optimal pH for nutrient uptake, circular agriculture.

Appropriate management of farming residues involves making use of the crops and animal products left over after harvest or slaughter. Strategies for managing these residues may include composting, burning, mulching or using them as animal feed. Proper management of these residues is important to ensure that the land is properly managed, soil fertility is maintained, and the environment is protected from pollution. e.g., seeding on residues.

Paludiculture is the productive land use of wet and rewetted peatlands that preserves the peat soil and thereby minimizes CO2 emissions and subsidence. Rewetting wetlands/peatlands, also known as paludiculture, is the practice of restoring and managing wetlands and peatlands in order to provide economic and ecological benefits. This involves rewetting peatlands that have been drained for agriculture, forestry, or other uses.

Semi-natural habitats are integral to most agricultural areas and have the potential to support ecosystem services, especially biological control and pollination by supplying resources for the invertebrates providing these services and for soil conservation by preventing erosion and run-off.

This refers to an agricultural system in which trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are grown with grazed animals. This type of system is designed to maximize the biodiversity of an area, often by creating a synergistic relationship between the plants and animals that provide a variety of ecological services and resources. High-biodiversity silvopastoral systems aim to create a sustainable, productive, and diverse agricultural system for both humans and wildlife.