BMP’s used by Agriculture Producers

Jessica Flores UME Ag & Natural Resources Educator

November 16, 2015

Landscape of Worcester County

• The county covers approximately 303,920 land acres.

• 71.8% of the land in Worcester County is currently zoned for agriculture.

• Approximately 374 farm businesses encompass 99,304 acres of farmland

• Average farm size of 266 acres

Farming of Worcester County

IN MARYLAND:•# 2 county in broiler production ($13,248,055,000 annually) •# 4 county for ag production ($199,265,000 annually)•# 5 for corn production ($29,448,000 annually)

Best Management Practices

• BMP’s

• Include many practices– Cover Crops - HU pads– Precision Agriculture - Fencing– Nutrient Management - Manure Storage– No-till– Buffer strips

Maryland Cover Crop Program

The Cover Crop Program is administered by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share

(MACS) Program and funded by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the

Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund.

• Planted after corn, soybeans, sorghum, tobacco or vegetables are harvested

• Barley, canola, rapeseed, kale, rye, ryegrass, spring oats, triticale, forage radish and wheat may be used

• Normally planted by beginning of November

Winterkill Cover Crops• Winterkill low-residue cover crops are being

investigated for inclusion in no-till spring vegetable systems

• November 2013, Field Day at UMD CMREC in Clarksville highlighted research– Radish– Phacelia– Mixtures of species

Forage Radishes

Forage radish & wheat mixtures

Precision Agriculture• Used to improve the agronomic, environmental and

economical management of crop production in accordance with in-field variability

• Based on – Precision soil sampling– Variable rate nutrient application– Recordkeeping/yield monitoring

• Ensure most efficient production is achieved

• UME field day• Features technology and equipment focused

on precision ag• Field day that demonstrates equipment being

used.

Mid-Atlantic Precision Ag Day

UVAs and Drones

Buffer Strips

High Use Pads – Chicken Houses

Rotational Grazing

Continuing Education

• MDA & College of AGNR co-sponsor many trainings and field days throughout the state– Nutrient Management – Pesticide Recertification– Agronomy Day– Field Days