Technical advice line: 03000 200 301 | Email: advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk

Air & Water Quality

The Farming Advice Service helps farmers understand the rules around farm activity which impacts air and water quality, and provides help and guidance on resources to help them meet these requirements.

On this page you will find FAS content on air and water quality including 

  • Government support and grants
  • Legislation, including Farming Rules for Water

In February 2026 Defra launched a new nutrient planning tool, designed with industry input to offer a free, user-friendly tool to match nutrients to crop and soil need, cutting waste, supporting productivity, and protecting watercourses.

NMPT-GB is available now for England and Wales, via the GOV.UK website.
Click here to access the tool in your browser.
This tool helps farmers meet compliance requirements for the Farming Rules for Water and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones regulations. 

Photo of river in farmland

Technical Articles

Newsletters

  • FAS front page February 2026

    Issue 120

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Looking ahead to 2026
    • FAS Webinars
    • News from the National Farmers Union 2026 Conference
    • Hedgerow management rules: cutting and trimming
    • Urea: Red Tractor standards in their 3rd year
    • ADOPT Funding Competition and Round 6
    • Environment Agency Initial prospects for irrigation- forecast for 2026
    • Rural Payments Agency Updates and Guidance
    • Updates from the Farming blog and industry announcements
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us
  • January 26 Front Page

    Issue 119

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Looking ahead to 2026
    • Agricultural Machinery Emissions – Scoping Research and Decarbonisation Options Assessment
    • FAS Webinars
    • Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) closed period reminders
    • New SFI offering for 2026
    • Oxford Farming Conference announcement: Backing farmers with a new era of partnership to boost farm profitability
    • Tax is Changing in April 2026 – Act Now
    • On Site Flood Plan Review Guidance For All Reservoir Undertakers
    • Big Farmland Bird Count 2026
    • Rural Payments Agency Updates and Guidance
    • Updates from the Farming blog and industry announcements
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us
  • November 2025 Front Page

    Issue 118

    • FAS availability in December
    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Looking ahead to 2026
    • Remember to submit your Sheep and Goat inventory
    • Agricultural Machinery Emissions – Scoping Research and Decarbonisation Options Assessment
    • FAS Webinars
    • Talking Farming in 2026
    • Tax is Changing in April 2026 – Act Now
    • Modernising Reservoir Safety: Consultation Launching in 2026 
    • Publication of LRO Methodology
    • Reminder - abstraction licence renewal applications
    • Updates from the Farming blog and industry announcements
    • Rural Payments Agency Updates and Guidance
    • Stay up to date with us
    • How can we help you? 
  • November 2025 Front Page

    Issue 117

    • FAS Webinars
    • Budget 2025 update on agricultural property relief
    • RPA to start making Countryside Stewardship (CS), Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payments from December
    • News from the CSF Team: How a Dorset dairy farm improved its slurry storage capacity
    • Meet the EA's Agricultural Remote Sensing Team
    • Will there be a drought next year? Environment Agency publishes Winter Refill Prospects report including forward-look to Spring 2026.
    • Tree on Farm - Forestry commission CSHT webinars
    • Rural Payments Agency Guidance
    • - SFI Annual Declaration
    • - SFI Rotational Actions Declaration
    • - Get ready for your farm visit with RPA's video guides
    • - Beware of fraud
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements

Podcast

  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 7

    Nutrient Management with Mel Holloway

    16 mins
  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 1

    Reducing ammonia emissions on farm, with Keesje Avis and John Morgan of Creedy Associates

    24 mins

Upcoming Events

  • CSF

    CSF Severn - Measuring Airborne Ammonia from Agriculture

    Ammonia and Agriculture in the Severn Catchment – What’s Happening Locally? We’ve been working with farm...

    10th Mar 2026
    10:30 - 13:00 (GMT)
    Wistanstow Village Hall, Craven Arms, Wistanstow SY7 8DQ

    Reserve a spot

  • CSF

    CSF Yorkshire & Humber - Living Shelters: Agroforestry and the Benefits for Livestock Farms

    A joint event with Yorkshire & Humber CSF and the South Pennine Farmers Group Led by Dr. Lindsay Whi...

    18th Mar 2026
    18:00 - 21:00 (GMT)
    Mount Skip Hebden Bridge Golf Club Mount Skip Hebden Bridge HX7 8PH

    Reserve a spot

  • CSF

    CSF Yorkshire & Humber - Smarter Nutrients, Smarter Farming – An NMP Evening with Humber CSF

    Join Catchment Sensitive Farming at this FREE event A technical workshop aiming to break down the comple...

    18th Mar 2026
    18:30 - 21:30 (GMT)
    The Village Inn, 88 Water End, Brompton, DL6 2RL

    Reserve a spot

Webinar Recordings

  • FAS

    Livestock farming update with the RPA and CSF

    Join the Farming Advice Service team, colleagues from the Rural Payments Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming for an online update on systems and support for livestock farmers
  • FAS

    Improving Water Resilience on Farm

    Improving Water Resilience on Farm – supporting farmers in England to reduce their vulnerability to future climate and water risks A free online event, delivered by Jerry Knox (Professor of Agricultural Water Management at Cranfield University) focused on the importance of water management on farm, the key challenges facing the sector, and approaches to help farmers understand risks and develop strategies to reduce their vulnerability to future water and climate shocks. Supported by CSF
  • FAS

    Nutrient Management with Mel Holloway

    Mel Holloway, expert farm consultant and FACTS qualified advisor, gave a presentation and Q and A session on nutrient management planning, NVZs, and Farming Rules for Water.

Sign up to receive key date reminders and the FAS newsletter

Get notified of upcoming key dates to help you meet your regulatory requirements and stay updated with the latest farming industry news on regulations, SFI and other grant schemes, the agricultural transition and more.

For information regarding how we store and use your data, please read our privacy policy.