Incentives for farmers to improve water quality must be included in a future agricultural policy if the UK wants to benefit from a further reduction in nitrate use.
The CLA which represents landowners and farmers, will urge the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into nitrate use today (6 March).
The rural organisation say that introducing a land management contract where farmers are incentivised through annual and capital grants to reduce nitrate leaching should form part of a UK food, farming and environmental policy post-Brexit.
CLA Land Use Policy Adviser Fraser McAuley says farmers and landowners are "vital" in the battle to further reduce water pollution.
“Actions already taken to use fertiliser and manures more efficiently have resulted in a reduction of more than 30% per hectare compared to the early 1980s,” Mr McAuley said.
“The Government should support them to deliver improved water quality through a land management contract as part of a new post-Brexit UK food, farming and environmental policy which incentivises farmers to store and use manures and fertiliser more efficiently to avoid pollution.”
Mr McAuley will tell the Committee that it would be "premature" to introduce any further blanket restrictions given the "long lag time" for nitrates to move through the soil profile into groundwater and before the effects are known of recent changes in practice and new rules due to be introduced in April.
The CLA will also call on the Government to uphold its Industrial Strategy commitment to help grow markets for innovative agricultural technologies and techniques such as precision farming, manure management and plant breeding that can help improve nitrogen use efficiency and avoid leaching.
