Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1000, the Nutrient Application Rates bill, which takes effect July 1st. See the details.
In late 2021, citrus growers started to voice their displeasure with “outdated science supporting University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) nutrient recommendation rates pertaining to BMPs.” This led to Florida Sen. Ben Albritton filing bill SB 1000 to address those concerns. In June 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1000, known as the Nutrient Application Rates bill; it goes into effect July 1st. See what you need to know about the bill below.
The Nutrient Application Rates Bill
In a Citrus Industry article, Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President/CEO Mathew Joyner said “This bill authorizes citrus growers to vary from current BMPs (best management practices) on nutrient applications through the use of site-specific nutrient management when supported by written recommendations from a Certified Crop Adviser who also holds a 4R Nutrient Management Specialty certification. Such written recommendation is to be documented using production and field data that is retained for review during the best management practices implementation verification process.”
The Nutrient Application Rates bill also clarifies that nutrient recommendations are recommendations and are not meant to be regulatory. It states “Nutrient application rate recommendations are general guidelines, not site-specific absolute rates, and that such rates may not take into account the latest methods of producing agricultural commodities or changes to nutrient application practices which are appropriate due to disease, new crop varieties, changes in United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service standards, growing techniques, or market conditions.”
Lastly, Joyner maintained “In addition to allowing site-specific nutrient management for citrus, the legislation instructs UF/IFAS (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) to analyze the use of site-specific nutrient management for crops other than citrus and develop a research plan and interim recommendations for implementation.”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
