The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a free, online nutrient management planning tool (NMPT-GB) that can be used by farmers and land managers to organise their fertiliser and manure usage.
Defra stated that NMPT-GB will allow farmers to match nutrient inputs to their crop and soil needs, creating improved nutrient management plans.
The ability to better plan manure and fertiliser usage will maximise nutrient availability for food production while reducing nutrient losses to water and air, according to Defra.
NMPT-GB is available now for England and Wales, via the GOV.UK website, with a Scotland release expected later this year.
Defra
Commenting on the launch, Defra’s Minister of State Dame Angela Eagle said: “We are backing farmers with innovative tools that help them increase profitability while protecting the environment.
“We’re investing in practical, science‑led technology like our nutrient planning tool to boost productivity, cut pollution, and help the farming sector thrive for generations to come.”
NMPT-GB was developed by Defra, the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), RSK ADAS, and RSK Business Solutions, using the latest guidance from the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) and Scottish Technical Notes.
NMPT-GB
Defra outlined that the farming tool supports nutrient management planning linked to current rules, such as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) requirements, Farming Rules for Water (England), and The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) Regulations (Wales).
The department also noted that any farm data entered into NMPT-GB is only available to the farmer and their appointed users, which means that regulators cannot access farm-specific data through the tool.
A webinar on how to use the tool is set to take place on Wednesday, March 4, hosted by RSK ADAS, a UK-based independent agricultural and environmental consultancy.
Defra added: “There is no legal requirement to use NMPT-GB; it’s more user-friendly than previous free decision support tools, supporting users to access the latest nutrient recommendations, helping them save time and money and create and implement holistic and effective nutrient management plans which align with latest regulations. ”
