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Wiesbaden (dpa / lhe) - Hessen wants to improve the quality of the groundwater with stricter fertilization requirements.
The new fertilizer ordinance should, among other things, ensure that less nitrogen gets into water bodies and groundwater, said the Ministry of the Environment in Wiesbaden on Monday.
The federal and state regulations have also been revised to avert a lawsuit by the EU.
The new rules will come into force in 2021.
As early as August 2019, certain areas were designated in Hesse where the entry of nitrogen into the groundwater - for example through fertilization with liquid manure - is to be reduced.
An excess of nitrate in the water is considered to be harmful to health.
After protests by farmers, the areas in Hessen are significantly smaller than initially expected.
Twelve percent of the agricultural area, for which stricter rules will apply in future, are now expected to be affected.
They concern, for example, the amounts of fertilizer and the times of fertilization.
In addition, manure can only be applied if the content of nitrogen and phosphate in the soil has been determined beforehand, explained the ministry.
Furthermore, a reporting obligation for fertilization-relevant data will be introduced.
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Federal Environment Agency on nitrogen
Communication Ministry of Environment