Maryland Department of Agriculture
Now that summer is in full swing, it’s not too soon to look ahead to Maryland’s fall nutrient application dates which run from September 10 through December 15. Here are the rules:
- Farmers are required to plant cover crops on fallow fields where organic nutrient sources have been applied in the fall. The planting deadline is November 15. Organic nutrient sources may be applied between November 16 and December 15 to cover crops and other vegetative cover that have been previously planted.
- A fall application of an organic nutrient source (not poultry litter) may be made to an existing crop, a crop to be planted during the fall, or a crop to be planted the following spring before June 1 following crop fertility recommendations provided in the Maryland Nutrient Management Manual. If imported organic sources are used, a Fall Soil Nitrate Test (FSNT) must be taken in advance to determine if additional nitrogen is warranted for a commodity small grain crop.
- Poultry litter may be applied in the fall for an existing crop or crop to be planted in the fall. If the crop to be planted will be harvested as a small grain crop for commodity purposes, a FSNT must be taken to determine if it is eligible to receive nitrogen.
- A fall application of a chemical fertilizer may be made to an existing crop or crop to be planted during this time period based on crop fertility recommendations provided in the Maryland Nutrient Management Manual.
- REMEMBER…nutrient applications are prohibited during the fall application period when the soil is saturated, when the ground is covered with snow greater than one inch, or when the ground is hard-frozen greater than two inches. For more information, contact MDA’s Nutrient Management Program at 410-841-5959.
