Feature: Farming in Eryri
For generations, feeding the land in Eryri (Snowdonia) meant spreading fertiliser and hoping the rain didn’t wash it into the nearest stream before the grass could use it. That approach is under pressure. Higher input costs, a new farm support system and Wales-wide rules on nutrient pollution mean farmers, smallholders and growers are thinking harder about how, and how much, they feed the soil.
Slow release fertilisers are part of that conversation. In a landscape where heavy rain can strip nutrients from the ground almost as fast as they’re applied, products that release nitrogen gradually, in step with what the plant can actually take up, make a lot of sense.
Farming in Eryri: the backdrop
Most farms inside the National Park are hill and upland livestock farms: sheep on the mountain, some suckler cattle lower down, and hay and silage ground in the valley bottoms. Soils are often thin and acidic, slopes are steep and the western mountains are among the wettest places in Britain. Every one of those factors makes nutrients harder to keep where they’re needed. Heavy rain shapes more than farming here: our piece on flood risk in Eryri looks at its effect on homes and cottages.
Two policy changes sit over everything. Since April 2021, the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations have applied to every farm in Wales, not just designated zones, with nutrient management requirements and, from April 2023, a 170kg per hectare annual limit on nitrogen from livestock manure averaged across the holding. And since January 2026 the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), Cynllun Ffermio Cynaliadwy in Welsh, has replaced the Basic Payment Scheme as the main source of farm support. The SFS is built around a set of Universal Actions every participating farm is asked to carry out, with optional and collaborative layers on top. It follows on from Glastir, the previous agri-environment scheme many Eryri farms took part in.
The direction is clear: farmers are expected to show that what goes on the land stays on the land and does some good there.
What makes slow release different?
Conventional soluble fertilisers dissolve quickly, giving a sudden flush of nutrients. That produces a burst of growth followed by a dip, and in wet conditions a good share of the nitrogen can be lost before the crop uses it, either as ammonia gas to the air (volatilisation) or washed down through the soil (leaching).
Slow and controlled release products use different ways to pace that supply. Some granules have polymer coatings that break down with moisture and temperature. Others, such as methylene urea based products, rely on soil and plant processes to unlock nitrogen over time. Either way, the aim is a steadier feed that keeps pace with demand rather than overwhelming it.
The nitrogen efficiency question
Nitrogen is the nutrient that matters most for grass and forage, and it’s also the easiest to lose. On acidic, rain-soaked upland ground those losses add up quickly, in money and in water quality.
This is where newer products are getting attention. North Wales manufacturer TS Resins, based in Mold, makes NUE28, a foliar nitrogen fertiliser based on methylene urea. According to the company, it contains 28% nitrogen, with around 40% as urea for quick uptake and around 60% as methylene urea released gradually over up to six weeks, and has a low salt index to reduce the risk of leaf scorch. Because it’s applied to the leaf rather than spread on the soil, it’s designed to cut the chance of losses before the plant can absorb it.
For Eryri farmers, the practical appeal goes beyond cost. Under the Wales-wide pollution rules and the SFS, being able to show efficient, well-timed nutrient use is becoming part of normal farm record keeping.
Matching the product to the land
No single product suits every field. What works depends on what you’re growing, your soil and your local conditions. As a starting point, and always alongside a soil test and your nutrient management plan:
- Permanent grassland and hill pasture: controlled release granules applied in spring can give steadier growth on sheep-grazed ground, without the flush-and-fade pattern that can favour weed grasses.
- Hay meadows and silage ground: timing is everything. A slow release base feed early in the season can be topped up with a foliar product ahead of cutting. Bear in mind that traditional hay meadows managed for wildflowers are often kept low input on purpose.
- Market gardens and specialist crops: vegetable and soft fruit growers often combine controlled release granules at planting with foliar feeds during the season, which gives more control and less risk of over-feeding.
- Amenity and tourism sites: caravan parks, campsites and holiday cottage gardens can keep grass and borders looking tidy with fewer applications.
Before changing anything significant, it’s worth talking to your agronomist or Farming Connect adviser, especially if you’re in the SFS or farm close to a sensitive watercourse.
The environmental angle
Eryri’s rivers matter well beyond the farm gate. Several are designated Special Areas of Conservation, including the Afon Eden, home to one of Wales’s few remaining populations of freshwater pearl mussel, and the rivers draining these mountains support salmon and sea trout. Nutrient run-off is one of the pressures on those habitats. Eryri’s lakes need the same care, as the story of the Arctic charr of Llyn Padarn shows.
That is perhaps the strongest argument for slow release feeding in upland Wales. Keeping more of each application in the root zone and out of the water lets farms stay productive while meeting their obligations, and it’s the kind of evidence of good practice that the new scheme is designed to reward. Land managers are also tackling other threats to upland habitats, such as invasive rhododendron.
Making the change
Moving to slow release doesn’t need to be dramatic. Many growers start by switching one main spring application on a few fields and comparing results over a season. Things to watch for:
- More even colour and growth across the sward, rather than a green flush followed by yellowing
- Fewer passes with the sprayer or spreader over the season
- Input costs once you factor in product, fuel and labour together
- Soil health over time, tracked through regular soil testing
For land that has to cope with Eryri’s rain, altitude and thin soils, a steadier feed is a better fit for the landscape. As Welsh farming balances food production with looking after soil and water, that fit is likely to matter more each year. To find out more about Eryri’s farming landscape and the wildlife it supports, see our guide to wildlife in Eryri.
Interested in learning more about slow release nitrogen fertiliser technology? TS Resins manufactures NUE28 and custom fertiliser blends at its works in Mold, North Wales.
Frequently asked questions
What is a slow release fertiliser?
A fertiliser designed to release nutrients gradually over weeks rather than all at once, using coatings or chemistry such as methylene urea, so more is taken up by the crop and less is lost.
Do the Welsh nutrient pollution rules apply in Eryri?
Yes. The Control of Agricultural Pollution regulations have applied to all farms across Wales since April 2021, including those inside the National Park.
When did the Sustainable Farming Scheme start?
The Sustainable Farming Scheme has been the main farm support scheme in Wales since January 2026, replacing the Basic Payment Scheme.
