Assessing the Effect of Nutrient Management Certification On Farm Management Practices.

Assessing the Effect of Nutrient Management Certification on Farm Management Practices

The Delaware Nutrient Management Act of 1999 requires anyone that applies nutrients to 10 or more acres of land, or maintains a herd or flock with 8,000 pounds of livestock or poultry, to attend nutrient management certification classes.  This requirement affects both agriculture and horticulture operations and includes six to 12 hours of class time, depending on the type of certification required.  As of April 2009, the University of Delaware has conducted 318 certification classes and certified 2,414 individuals.  Optimal nutrient management, via operation behavioral changes, is the primary goal of the certification classes.  To assess the effectiveness of these classes, a survey was mailed to all participants.  Questions asked whether the producer increased their knowledge of water quality issues, changed their perceptions related to water quality issues, and made any operational changes.  For all questions related to behavioral change, more than 50% of respondents indicated that they had changed their management as a result of the classes.  These results suggest that nutrient management certification classes are an effective method of producing behavioral change.