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

Newsletters

  • FAS Newsletter October 2025 Front Page

    Issue 128

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Upcoming Events
    • Farming Advice Service webinar; AI in agriculture: Practical tools for farmers and advisers
    • Catch up on the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) funding webinar recording 
    • Backing England's farmers to meet growing demand for organic food   
    • A reminder from the Environment Agency to make your application no less than THREE months before the expiry date 
    • Forestry Commission upcoming agroforestry webinars
    • Looking after yourself during challenging times 
    • Wye and Usk, UK: Water roadmap collective action project
    • Interested in the role of herbal leys on your farm?
    • Support with safety measures from the Environment Agency Reservoir Regulation Team
    • Summer water abstraction returns
    • Long duration licence evidence changes
    • Environment Agency winter reservoir refill prospects 2026/27
    • Trees: A powerful tool for tackling diffuse agricultural pollution
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
      • Fertiliser storage for the coming season 
      • Put trees to work on your farm
      • Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: preparing for April 2027
    • Rural Payments Agency: Updates and guidance
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us
  • November 2025 Front Page

    Issue 127

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Upcoming Events
    • Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) Window 2 budget fully allocated following strong farmer demand
    • Bluetongue: how the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway can support farmers
    • Young Farmers Week 2026
    • Two Part Tariff (TPT) second part charges for year 2025/2026 
    • Nutrient Management Planning Tool update – understand the value of your manure!
    • Efforts to prevent England remaining in drought by next spring
    • Environment Secretary Speech on Back British Farming Day
    • Farmer Collaboration Fund
    • Updates from the Forestry Commission
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
    • Rural Payments Agency: Updates and Guidance
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us
  • FAS Newsletter August 2025

    Issue 126

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Upcoming Events
    • Temporary adjustments to ELM agreements and new drought funding for farmers
    • How Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier can work for farmers and land managers
    • Woodland creation webinar: helping new trees survive and thrive
    • Wildfire training available
    • Help test the Forestry Commission’s new felling licence service
    • Annual Charge Invoices for Chargeable Abstraction Licence Holders
    • How an EA inspection helped a dairy farm transition to a more sustainable business model
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
    • Rural Payments Agency: Updates and Guidance
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us
  • FAS June 2026

    Issue 125

    • Key dates to be aware of
    • Upcoming Events
    • Capital Grants 2026 offer now open
    • Farm Safety Week
    • Register your interest in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agreement for agroforestry or woodland improvement.
    • Farmer Collaboration Fund is launching soon
    • Tripling funding for farmer welfare support
    • Annual Charge Invoices for Chargeable Abstraction Licence Holders
    • Woodland creation webinar: helping new trees survive and thrive
    • Help test the Forestry Commission’s new felling licence service
    • Water licensing availability survey
    • Modernising time limited licence renewal reminders
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
    • Rural Payments Agency: Updates and Guidance
    • How can we help you?
    • Stay up to date with us

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 East Midlands - Arable Hub - November 2026

    Join CSF, STW, Agronomist Andrew Wells and The Welbeck Estate for a look at Sustainable Farming Incentive 2...

    20th Nov 2026
    10:30 - 15:00 (GMT)
    Lady Margaret Hall, Worksop, Nottinghamshire

    Find out more and book your place here.

  • CSF

    CSF East Midlands - Arable Hub - December 2026

    Join CSF, STW, Agronomist Andrew Wells and The Welbeck Estate for a look at Sustainable Farming Incentive 2...

    18th Dec 2026
    10:30 - 15:00 (GMT)
    Lady Margaret Hall, Worksop, Nottinghamshire

    Find out more and book your place here.

  • CSF

    LAMMA 2027 - Talk to CSF, Natural England and Defra

    Meet your local Natural England and CSF advisers on the Defra Group stand.

    20th - 21st Jan 2027
    08:00 - 16:30 (GMT)
    NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT

    Find details of the event here

Webinar Recordings

  • FAS

    Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026

    View the recording of the June 2026 FAS webinar on the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) offer. This webinar was delivered in partnership with Defra, the Rural Payments Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.
  • FAS

    Nutrient Management Planning – what’s new for 2026

    Following the launch of the new Defra funded online Nutrient Management Planning Tool in February, we speak to expert farm consultant and FACTS & BASIS qualified advisor Mel Holloway about approaches to nutrient management planning for the new planting year. With an update from CSF on support available from their teams.
  • 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

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