N190 Land Categories

Land Categories 

To report your nitrogen usage to council, your landholding needs to be split into land categories.  There are two overarching categories, grazed land and ungrazed land. All grazed land on the dairy is subject to the 190kg/ha nitrogen cap. Grazed land is split into three land categories:

• Grazed Pasture - All grazed grassland not intended for harvest. Grazed pasture has a nitrogen cap of 190kg/ha/yr.
• Grazed Forage Crops - Annual forage crops not intended for harvest. Forage crops have no nitrogen cap but are included in the grazed land where average N applied must be 190kg/ha/yr or less. 
• Grazed Harvest Crops - Intermittently grazed crops that are intended for harvest (may include grains, grasses, and trees). Harvest crops where stubble only is grazed are classified as ungrazed land. Grazed harvest crops have no nitrogen cap but are included in the grazed land where average N applied must be 190kg/ha/yr or less.

Grazed pasture and grazed harvest crops will be reported together under an overarching category grazed non-forage crops. If a paddock is in grazed forage at any point during the reporting year, all paddock applications will be included in the grazed forage category for council reporting due to the legislation. 

Ungrazed land refers to land that is used for purposes other than grazing for all or part of the year. This includes laneways, dairy sheds and ungrazed harvest crops. Nitrogen applied to ungrazed land is not capped and is not included in the average nitrogen calculation for the landholding. 

Paddocks on the farm can be classified in different land categories during the year.  For example if a paddock is used for both grazing and silage/baleage/hay, it is classified as pasture when grazed, and as ungrazed land once grazing has stopped until harvest. 

How to assign land categories 

Once you have completed creating your landholding.

• Go to Reports > Nitrogen Reporting.
• Select your landholding.
• Select New report.
• Select a reporting year
• Enter the contact details of the farm operator and click Save.
• Select the paddocks and/or management zones that you wish to assign land categories to from the list or the map .
• Select Assign.
• Select the land category from the drop-down list.
• Select a start and end date.
  The dates will default to the nitrogen reporting year (1st July - 30th June) if this is the first date entry for that area.
• Add a Note if required. This is for your own reference and will not be included in reporting data.
• Select Add to add an additional land category. 
• Select Save once complete.

Once the land categories have been assigned you can view these in table or calendar format. 

Editing Land Categories 

If you need to edit a land category 

• Select the area you wish to edit from the table, calendar or map.
• Select Edit.
• Change the information as required.
• Select Save to make your changes. 

The video below takes you through creating a landholding as well as creating and editing the categories within a landholding.

Learn more about nitrogen reporting here.