Farming with Your Nutrient Management Plan

Transcription

1 Farming with Your Nutrient Management Pan A Comprehensive Guide to Maryand s Nutrient Management Reguations and Requirements -- What s Inside: Impementing Your Nutrient Management Pan Nutrient Appication Requirements Setbacks for Nutrient Appications Requirements for Temporary Manure Stockpiing Phosphorus Management Too Requirements Maryand Department of Agricuture Nutrient Management Program SPRING 2017

2 Introduction Maryand aw requires a farmers grossing $2,500 a year or more or ivestock producers with 8,000 pounds or more of ive anima weight to foow nutrient management pans when fertiizing crops and managing anima manure. These science-based pans specify how much fertiizer, manure or other nutrient sources may be safey appied to crops to achieve yieds and prevent excess nutrients from impacting waterways. Nutrient management pans are required for a agricutura and used to produce pants, food, feed, fiber, animas or other agricutura products. To take advantage of the atest scientific research on nutrient movement and provide enhanced protections for Maryand s waterways, the Maryand Department of Agricuture periodicay updates its nutrient management requirements. New reguations adopted in 2015 provide a muti-year process for farmers with high soi phosphorus eves to transition to the Phosphorus Management Too in preparing their nutrient management pans. This updated environmenta risk assessment too identifies farm fieds with high soi phosphorus eves and aows farmers to evauate management options to reduce the risk of phosphorus runoff into nearby waterways. Additiona modifications to the department s nutrient management reguations prohibit farmers statewide from appying manure, commercia fertiizer, biosoids, and food wastes from December 16 to March 1. Farmers aso are required to incorporate manure and other organic nutrient sources into tied fieds. Farmers who are using no-ti farming practices are exempt from this requirement. This guide is designed to hep farmers foow their nutrient management pans and compy with a nutrient appication and reporting requirements. For additiona guidance and carification, farmers shoud contact their nutrient management consutant or regiona nutrient management office isted on the back of this guide.

3 Impementing Your Nutrient Management Pan Nutrient management pans detai the optimum use of nutrients to minimize osses to the environment whie maintaining crop yieds. Soi and manure tests are used to deveop appication rates that meet projected crop yieds based on soi productivity or historic yieds of a site. Pans are prepared by University of Maryand Extension advisors, private consutants who are certified by the Maryand Department of Agricuture, or farmers who are certified to deveop pans soey for their own operations. Impementing a nutrient management pan requires farmers to foow guideines for the amount, timing, and pacement of nutrients on each crop. Pans must be revised and updated before they expire. Most pans are written for one or three years. The expiration date can be found on the pan. Major changes to an operation may require a pan to be modified or updated sooner. In addition, farmers must have a soi test competed at east once every three years. Farmers who use manure must have it anayzed for nutrient content at east every other year. The success of a nutrient management pan in protecting water quaity often hinges on whether the farmer has read the pan and communicated its content to other famiy members, hired empoyees, or their fertiizer company. Farmers shoud contact their nutrient management consutant if they have questions about their pans. It is important for farmers to show by their actions that pans are being foowed and used instead of coecting dust on a shef. For some farm empoyees, training may be needed in equipment caibration and record keeping. Most important, it is the farmer s responsibiity to assure that the pan is put into action. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Nutrient Appicator Voucher Training Farmers who appy nutrients to 10 or more acres of cropand are required to attend a two-hour nutrient appicator training course once every three years. Free voucher training and recertification courses are offered in fa and winter by the department and Extension at ocations across the state. Farmers who are certified to write their own nutrient management pans are not required to attend voucher training, however, they are required to take six hours of continuing education credits every three years. Annua Impementation Reporting Farmers are required to submit Annua Impementation Reports to the Maryand Department of Agricuture by March 1 summarizing their nutrient management for the previous year. Whie nutrient management pans contain recommendations for nutrient appications, the reporting form is a summary of actua nutrients appied to crops during the previous caendar year. The department mais reporting forms to farmers in January and posts them on its website at mda.maryand.gov. Page 3

4 Nutrient Appication Requirements Nutrient appication requirements vary, depending on the crop, season, nutrient source, and weather conditions. Here in Maryand, farmers are required to foow University of Maryand nutrient recommendations and use best management practices that minimize nutrient osses to nearby waterways as outined in Maryand s Nutrient Management Manua. The foowing requirements appy: Chemica fertiizer may be appied from March 1 through December 15 for an existing crop or a fa panted crop foowing University of Maryand recommendations. Organic nutrients may be appied from March 1 through December 15 for an existing crop, a fa panted crop, or a crop that is panted the next spring foowing University of Maryand recommendations. Poutry itter may be appied in spring and fa for an existing crop or crops panted for the upcoming season, as ong as it is appied foowing University of Maryand recommendations. Appying nitrogen in the fa is prohibited on sma grains if a fa nitrate test indicates eves greater than 10 parts per miion for wheat or 15 parts per miion for barey. Cover crops must be panted when organic nutrient sources are appied to faow ground in the fa. Winter appication (December 16 through February 28) of chemica fertiizer is prohibited. Exceptions exist for green up of perennia forage crops and sma grains as we as greenhouse, coo season grass sod production, and vegetabe and fruit production, as ong as appications are performed foowing University of Maryand recommendations. Use of potash and iming materias is not restricted in winter. Manure deposited directy by ivestock is not restricted at any time of year. Manure, biosoids and other organic nutrient sources must be injected or incorporated into the soi within 48 hours of appication. The foowing conditions may exempt farmers from this requirement: 1. The farmer is using no-ti farming practices. 2. Livestock manure is deposited directy by animas. 3. The and is in permanent pasture. 4. The and is being used for hay production. Page 4

5 5. Fieds are defined as highy erodibe and by USDA-Natura Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Fied Office Technica Guide standards and determination protocos. This exemption requires supporting documentation (a Farm Service Agency map or Soi Conservation and Water Quaity Pan signed by a soi conservation district representative). 6. Spray irrigation is being used to appy nutrients to a growing crop. 7. Sma grains have been panted for harvest on the and, either as grain or siage. This is considered a standing crop, and therefore exempt from incorporation of organic nutrient sources during spring green up. Nutrient appications are prohibited from December 16 through February 28. This requirement appies to farmers with 50 or more anima units (1 anima unit equas 1,000 pounds of ive anima weight). Beginning March 1, 2020, smaer farms with 50 anima units or ess must compy with restrictions on appying organic nutrient sources in winter. An emergency provision aows the department to work with farmers on a case-by-case basis to prevent an overfow from iquid manure storage structures during winter, when spreading manure is otherwise prohibited. The exemption is ony for on-farm generated manure that the farmer cannot store due to extraordinary circumstances. It does not appy to biosoids or food waste. Farmers seeking an emergency waiver are required to submit proof that they have attempted to obtain adequate manure storage. If approved, farmers must impement environmenta protections to safeguard water quaity, incuding the appication of manure on vegetative cover and the use of a 100-foot buffer zone next to waterways. Farmers operating under an emergency exemption are prohibited from appying iquid manure if the ground is saturated, snow covered, or hard frozen two inches or more. Page 5

6 Setbacks for Nutrient Appication A nutrient appication setback is a vegetated area ranging from 10 to 35 feet from an eigibe waterway where nutrients may not be appied in order to protect water quaity. Maryand s nutrient management reguations require setback information identifying these areas to be incuded on farm nutrient management pans. Farmers who appy nutrients to their crop fieds are required to adhere to the setback distance as determined by the method of appication. If nutrients are custom-appied, it is the farmer s responsibiity to inform the appicator of the setback requirements. The setback indicator chart shown beow may be used to satisfy the Nutrient Management Program s reporting requirements. A map is recommended, but not required. Maryand Nutrient Management Program Nutrient Appication Setback Indicator Nutrient Appication Setback Required (Indicate with Yes in appropriate coumn or coumns) Farm Name(s) Is Surface Water Present on the Farm that Requires a Setback? (Yes or No) Fied(s) Requiring a Nutrient Appication Setback* Livestock on Pasture 10 ft. Directed Appication** 10 ft. Broadcast Appication or Sacrifice Lots*** 35 ft. *If a fied contains mutipe sources of surface water (i.e. a pond and a stream), ist each separatey or identify on the map. **Directed appication is a directed spray appication (vertica fan or drop nozze), air fow appication, knifed/injected appication of nutrients, and panter appied nutrients. ***Broadcast appication or sacrifice ots: spinner spreaders (manure or fertiizer), high voume horizonta nozzes, and manure spreaders (box type with beaters, spasher pates for iquid, side discharge V-type). The foowing nutrient appication setback requirements appy: A minimum 10-foot setback is required for a nutrient appications adjacent to surface waters and streams. A 35-foot setback is required when using broadcast fertiizer appication methods. No crops may be grown on the 10-foot setback except pasture and hay. The remaining 25-foot setback may have crops, but may not be fertiized uness a direct appication method is used. Pastures and hayfieds are subject to a 10-foot setback. Nutrients may not be appied mechanicay within the 10-foot setback area. Livestock are not aowed in the setback; however, fash grazing is aowed. Fencing to contro ivestock may not be required in a cases. Farmers who do not have stream protection measures in pace shoud contact their soi conservation district to schedue a farm visit. District staff can evauate the site to determine whether fencing is needed or aternative practices such as watering faciities, ivestock crossings, or vegetative excusion wi hep protect water quaity. The district wi provide farmers with the necessary documentation to meet this requirement in preparing their nutrient management pans. If aternative practices do not inhibit access, the department may require fencing. Livestock sacrifice ots require a 35-foot setback from surface water. Page 6

7 Use the foowing charts to determine the ength of the setback required: Nutrient Appication Setbacks Edge of Watercourse 35 feet No broadcast appication 10 feet No nutrient appication Directed nutrient appication When Do Nutrient Appication Setbacks Appy? If the watercourse is: It is defined as a: For crop and pastureand adjacent to the watercourse, a setback is: Natura and either perennia or intermittent Stream Required Channeized and perennia and: A. ies within a foodpain soi map unit, or B. ies within a hydric soi map unit mapped as a narrow, eongated feature in a fuvia (stream-ike) foodpain position, or C. ies within a B sope or greater soi Stream Required Channeized and intermittent Ditch Not Required Ephemera (natura or channeized) Ditch Not Required Page 7

8 Requirements and Best Management Practices for Temporary Manure Stockpiing (Staging) Temporary fied stockpiing (staging) of poutry itter and other dry organic nutrient sources with 60 percent or ess moisture content is aowed under Maryand s nutrient management reguations when other immediate use options and aternatives are unavaiabe. Dry process waste is primariy associated with poutry operations but can aso come from swine, beef, or dairy catte operations. To minimize the duration of temporary fied stockpiing, operators shoud coordinate with integrators to schedue ceanouts as cose to spring panting as possibe so that crops have a readiy avaiabe nutrient source when they need it most. Manure storage structures shoud be competey utiized before starting a stockpie. Record the date that the stockpie was started. Manure in temporary stockpies must be and appied no ater than the first spring foowing the pacement of the stockpie. The stockpie area must be: At east 100 feet from any surface water and irrigation or treatment ditches, or 35 feet away if a vegetative buffer is in pace. At east 150 feet from wes, springs, and wetands. At east 300 feet from a we that is down gradient from the stockpie. At east 200 feet from any residence outside the operator s property. Outside food prone areas and areas prone to ponding. No further than 150 feet from the top of a 3 percent sope with no diversion instaed. The stockpie must be stacked at east 6 feet high and peaked to aow it to shed rainfa. Materias shoud be stockpied in a manner that prevents nutrient runoff. If the manure stockpie wi be exported off the farm, record the date that the manure was shipped aong with the name and address of the recipient and an estimate of the tonnage exported. Foowing remova of the stockpie, the ground must be thoroughy scraped or ceaned and the area restored to its origina condition. If necessary, reseed the area with grass or an agronomic crop to faciitate nutrient uptake. Subsequent stockpies shoud be paced in the same ocation to minimize environmenta impact. Page 8

9 SUMMARY: Maryand Nutrient Management Appication Requirements chemica fertiizer may be appied from March 1 through December 15 to an existing crop or a fa panted crop foowing University of Maryand recommendations. organic nutrient sources may be appied from March 1 through December 15 to an existing crop. Additiona restrictions and conditions for organic nutrients appied in the fa (September 9 through December 15) are described in the Maryand Nutrient Management Manua. Manure, biosoids, and other organic sources of nutrients must be injected or incorporated into the soi within 48 hours of appication. There are exceptions for no-ti farming systems, spray irrigation on a growing crop, permanent pastures, hay production fieds, and highy erodibe fieds. fa appication of nitrogen is prohibited on sma grains if a fa nitrate test indicates eves greater than 10 parts per miion for wheat or 15 parts per miion for barey. Cover crops must be panted when organic nutrient sources are appied in fa. A minimum 10-foot setback is required for a nutrient appications adjacent to surface waters and streams. a 35-foot setback is required when using broadcast fertiizer appication methods. Ony pasture and hay may be grown on the 10-foot setback area. The remaining 25-foot setback may have crops, but may not be fertiized uness a direct appication method is used. Pastures and hayfieds are subject to a 10-foot setback. Livestock are not aowed in the setback area. Livestock stream protection practices are required. Livestock sacrifice ots require a 35-foot setback from surface water. Winter appication (December 16 through February 28) of chemica fertiizer is prohibited. There are exceptions for green up of perennia forage crops and sma grains as we as greenhouse, coo season grass sod production, and vegetabe and fruit production, as ong as appications are performed foowing University of Maryand recommendations. Nutrient appications are prohibited from December 16 through February 28. Beginning March 1, 2020, smaer farms with 50 anima units (1 anima unit equas 1,000 bs of ive anima weight) or ess are prohibited from appying organic sources of nutrients from December 16 through February 28. Iif nutrients are custom-appied, it is the farmer s responsibiity to inform the appicator of the setback distance based on the method of appication. Page 9

10 Phosphorus Management Too (PMT) Maryand s Phosphorus Management Too (PMT) reguations took effect June 8, 2015 and provide a muti-year process for farmers to transition from the Phosphorus Site Index to the PMT, an updated too that uses the best avaiabe science to identify the potentia risk of phosphorus oss from farm fieds and prevent the additiona buidup of phosphorus in sois that are aready saturated. Sois with high phosphorus eves are typicay found on farms that have used manure or poutry itter as a crop nutrient over an extended period of time. Fertiity Index Vaue (FIV) is a measurement of phosphorus in the soi as determined by a aboratory test of a soi sampe. A eve between is considered optimum for crop production. FIV eves above 100 indicate that the soi contains more phosphorus than the crop needs. It is important to remember that use of the PMT ony appies to farm fieds with high soi phosphorus eves identified by a Fertiity Index Vaue of 150 or greater. If farm fieds score ess than 150 FIV, farmers may appy phosphorus to the and foowing University of Maryand recommendations outined in the Maryand Nutrient Management Manua. NOW IN EFFECT Fieds with the greatest risk for phosphorus runoff into nearby waterways as indicated by a Fertiity Index Vaue of 500 or greater are banned from receiving additiona phosphorus. This ban remains in effect unti the Phosphorus Management Too is fuy impemented in After that, potentia phosphorus appications on these fieds wi be determined by the PMT. These farms receive priority for cost-share assistance to reocate excess anima manure. A new/updated nutrient management pans must be deveoped using both the Phosphorus Site Index and the new Phosphorus Management Too for farm fieds with a Fertiity Index Vaue of 150 or greater. By running both the Phosphorus Site Index and the Phosphorus Management Too, farmers wi be better informed and can pan for management changes that wi be required by the new reguations. pmt SCHEDULING TIERS (Tiers Determine When Farmers Must Transition to the Phosphorus Management Too) High-Risk Tier C Farms These farms have average phosphorus eves greater than 450 FIV*. Tier C farms begin to phase in impementation of the PMT in 2018 and have unti Juy 1, 2022 to fuy transition. Phosphorus appications are incrementay owered during the phase-in period. Medium-Risk Tier B Farms These farms have an average phosphorus eve of FIV*. Tier B farms begin to phase in impementation of the PMT in 2019 and have unti Juy 1, 2022 to fuy transition. Phosphorus appications are incrementay owered during the phase-in period. Low-Risk Tier A Farms These farms have an average phosphorus eve of FIV*. Tier A farms begin to phase in impementation of the PMT in 2020 and have unti Juy 1, 2022 to fuy transition. Phosphorus appications are incrementay owered during the phase-in period. *Average of a fieds with a Fertiity Index Vaue greater than 150 SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS the foowing specia provisions aow farmers to appy phosphorus to crops when it woud otherwise be restricted by the PMT. For additiona guidance, farmers shoud contact their nutrient management consutant or regiona nutrient management speciaist. Tissue Anaysis Crop tissue, such as the eaves of a corn pant, may be anayzed as an indicator of crop heath and nutrient deficiency. If a phosphorus deficiency is indicated, farmers may add phosphorus to the crop foowing University of Maryand recommendations. High Phosphorus Crops Vegetabe and tobacco crops with proven higher phosphorus needs may receive phosphorus appications at panting. Organic Crops Certified organic farmers who rey on anima manures as a source of both nitrogen and phosphorus for crop production may appy imited amounts of phosphorus under certain conditions. Aternative Use Farmers adopting Maryand Department of Agricuture-approved aternative use technoogies to ower the phosphorus content in anima manure may appy imited amounts of phosphorus. Page 10

11 TIMELINE: Impementing Maryand s Phosphorus Management Too Reguations EFFECTIVE DATE REQUIREMENT Fieds with the greatest risk for phosphorus runoff into nearby waterways as indicated by a Fertiity Index Vaue (FIV) of 500 or greater are banned from receiving phosphorus. NOW IN EFFECT A new/updated nutrient management pans are deveoped using both the Phosphorus Site Index and the new Phosphorus Management Too for farm fieds with an FIV of 150 or greater. Management requirements for the Phosphorus Site Index govern phosphorus use. Beginning in 2016 and every six years thereafter, soi test phosphorus data wi be submitted for a farms in Maryand subject to nutrient management pan requirements. This data wi provide the Maryand Department of Agricuture with accurate soi fertiity data to monitor trends in phosphorus eves and hep identify potentia areas to redistribute newy avaiabe manure New phosphorus management requirements begin to phase in for High-Risk (Tier C) farms with average phosphorus FIV that is greater than 450. New phosphorus management requirements begin to phase in for Medium-Risk (Tier B) farms with average phosphorus FIV of New phosphorus management requirements begin to phase in for Low-Risk (Tier A) farms with average phosphorus FIV of Juy 1 The Phosphorus Management Too is fuy impemented on a fieds with an FIV of 150 or greater (uness the deadine is extended). Page 11

12 MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Nutrient Management Offices WESTERN MARYLAND Aegany, Garrett and Washington counties Naves Cross Road, NE Cumberand, MD , ext. 116 Carro and Frederick counties 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 110 Frederick, MD , ext CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND Anne Arunde, Howard and Montgomery counties 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 110 Frederick, MD , ext EASTERN SHORE Caroine and Dorchester counties Mary s Court, Suite 4 Easton, MD Kent, Queen Anne s and Tabot counties Mary s Court, Suite 4 Easton, MD Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties Nanticoke Road, Unit 2 Saisbury, MD , ext. 4 Batimore, Ceci and Harford counties 2205 Commerce Road, Suite C Forest Hi, MD , ext. 118 Cavert, Chares, Prince George s and St. Mary s counties Radio Station Way, Suite B Leonardtown, MD , ext. 122 For more information on Maryand s nutrient management reguations, cick here or visit mda.maryand.gov and type Maryand Nutrient Management Manua in the search box. Nutrient Management Program 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapois, MD nminfo.mda@maryand.gov mda.maryand.gov MDA Recyced Paper