Many of you who have attended a Virginia Certified Fertilizer Applicator training session have heard the story about a Virginia delegate from Northern Virginia who was given fuel for the regulatory fires being fanned by his constituents. The event at the center of this story occurred during a meeting our story's politician was having with a group of citizens in his district concerned with pollution of the Chesapeake Bay.
The story goes on to describe a scenario where this group broke their meeting for lunch and proceeded to step through crunchy fertilizer left earlier that day on the concrete. Needless-to-say this certainly added fuel to the fire for fertilizer application regulation and rightfully so. As responsible stewards of the environment we are expected to know better, to establish and employ best practices that collectively protect Mother Earth.
If this contractor had done the "right thing", using more precise application techniques and removing fertilizer from impervious surfaces, possibly Virginia would not be the first state to regulate urban fertilizer applications. Don't get me wrong as we must all be committed to taking care of our streams, rivers and the estuary we call the Chesapeake Bay. Those bodies of water are a gift and it's our responsibility as members of the Green Industry to protect them.
To that end, as of July first 2012 almost everyone applying fertilizer to non-agricultural lands is required to have a CFA, certified fertilizer applicator license. There are a few exemptions and homeowner applications are not regulated.
Each agency or company making applications must employ at least one VA CFA. This is a bit different from pesticide applicator licensing in that uncertified persons can make fertilizer applications, however they must be trained or supervised by a VA CFA.
Each year Landscape Supply (LSI) offers Virginia CFA training and exam in conjunction with its annual spring educational/recertification programs. LSI, in conjunction with RBB Turf & Landscape Consultants presents one of several approved programs for this training.
This course is offered in February early March in each of the regions of the Commonwealth where LSI has distribution centers: Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Chantilly up in Northern Virginia.
One primary indicator of the quality of this training comes in the pass/fail rate achieved by the participants. In 2012 we had a 99% pass rate and expect no less coming out of the 2013 program.
The subject areas each approved course covers includes:
- Proper nutrient management practices such as allowable rate of application for nutrients for various types of vegetation and determining quantity of product to apply based on nutrient analysis.
- Timing of application during appropriate seasons for various types of vegetation and restrictions on intervals for reapplication.
- Soil analysis techniques and interpretation of soil analysis results such as proper frequency and depth of sampling and determining appropriate rates of application based on soil analyses.
- Equipment calibration techniques and procedures for liquid and dry fertilizer applicators and determination of size of application areas.
- Understanding and interpreting fertilizer labels.
- Proper handling and appropriate notification procedures of accidents and incidents.
- Proper methods of storing, mixing, loading, transporting, handling, applying, and disposing of fertilizer.
- Managing applications near impervious surfaces such as streets, driveways, sidewalks, or paved ditches, as well as near water bodies to avoid off-target applications.
- Safety and health, including proper use of personal protective equipment.
- Recordkeeping and reporting requirements of this regulation.
In summary, all Green Industry professionals have made the following statement from the legislation their mantra. As we earn a living growing and maintaining turf it is imperative that we...
"Preserve our environment through soil testing and detailed recommendations for the application of nutrients within established VA DCR criteria. Minimizing nutrient loss by controlling application rates, and timing will produce superior plants and turf, while reducing nutrient loss to Virginia's ground, surface waters, and The Chesapeake Bay."
The link below takes to more details and specifics, code of Virginia http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+2VAC5-405-20
