Relaxation in GAEC 7 rules in Scotland March 9, 2015 12:00 am After lobbying from NFU Scotland, the Scottish Government has relaxed the rules around cultivations within 2m of a hedge. The change has been made as some farmers may have undertaken cultivations closer than the 2m before the rule was announced. The derogation will allow farmers to cultivate within 2m of the centre of a hedge to establish greencover. The following scenarios apply; Land within 2m of the centre of a hedge which was ploughed before 1st Jan 2015 and has been sown with a crop can then, after harvest, be cultivated in order to establish a green cover. Land within 2m of the centre of a hedge which was ploughed before 1st Jan 2015 and has not been sown with a crop can be cultivated in order to establish a green cover if one does not already exist. Land within 2m of the centre of a hedge which has been harvested but has not yet been cultivated can be cultivated in order to establish a green cove if one does not already exist. Cultivations within 2m of the top of the bank of a watercourse or ditch are only allowed on bare land that has not been sown with a crop. Cultivations to establish a green cover must be carried out in a way to prevent soil loss. It should be noted that this relaxation to cultivations does not apply to the application of fertilisers and pesticides.
