Michigan Correspondent 

 

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Agri-Business Assoc. (MABA) has announced a new campaign to promote water quality in its state.

 

MABA announced that hundreds of fertilizer application professionals have earned formal certification through a program designed to help protect water quality, and detailed on March 22 the launch of a new statewide water quality education campaign to share information on best practices with everyone in Michigan agriculture.

 

“The Great Lakes are a precious resource for all Michiganders, and our agriculture sector is serious about doing our part to protect water quality,” said Jim Byrum, president of MABA. “Most farmers, crop advisors and others throughout agriculture are doing the right thing, using the latest technology and protecting our environment, while becoming more productive – and we want to build on that progress.”

 

According to MABA, already this year 350 fertilizer applicators have attended training events under its Certified Fertilizer Applicator (CFA) program, a professional training opportunity designed to help protect water quality. Last year, the program’s first year, 450 applicators accumulated credits, representing 38 individual agribusinesses and 45 large farms.

 

Two hundred-seventy applicators have achieved full accreditation in the program altogether. MABA describes CFA as a voluntary program to provide training and certification for custom fertilizer applicators in the implementation of nutrient management practices, equipment safety and operation and application technology. MABA administers the program.

 

Certification is based on yearly accumulation of credits obtained from training and educational sessions. No test is required or available for certification. The certification year begins on Jan. 1 and is issued based on credits accumulated during the previous 12 months. Certification requires the accumulation of 6 credits a year.

 

New online training modules were launched early in 2017 to provide new and more accessible training opportunities for nutrient applicators and farmers. Also, there are plans to add a certification program for those who apply manure, beginning this spring.

 

“We’re excited about the potential reach of this program,” said MABA Vice President Tim Boring. “A lot of this is about getting deeper adoption, wider adoption of best management practices.”

 

When asked how much this new campaign has to do with the appearance of harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin over the past few summers, Boring said the campaign is about “more than one incident or one location.”

 

MABA is highlighting “5 Steps to Protect Water Quality” as part of its educational campaign. The group would like to focus on: soil testing regularly and following up on results; using new technology to optimize fertilizer use; stepping up management with cover crops; planning nutrient application with weather conditions in mind; and working with certified crop advisers to get the job done right.

 

MABA says these core practices will be emphasized throughout its certification programs, member communications and beyond. To see more about this and other aspects of the organization’s programming, go to www.miagbiz.org/index.php