How soil types can impact nitrate levels on farms

Teagasc Agricultural Catchment Specialist, Eddie Burgess, explained some of the mysteries of agricultural water pollution

'Our heavy clay soils will typically have higher phosphorous levels, and lower nitrate levels.'

Some of the mysteries of agricultural water pollution were explained by Teagasc Agricultural Catchment Specialist, Eddie Burgess, on a recent Environment Edge podcast.

“The type of farm that is most problematic for nitrate probably doesn’t have a watercourse on it at all, because in a free-draining soil type, when it rains, the water percolates down through the soil, and there aren’t streams or ditches on it, and because the soil is so free-draining, that’s where nitrate is more than likely going to be coming from,” Eddie said.