Virginia Law

A. A certified nutrient management planner shall prepare nutrient management plans which contain the information in subsections B through G of this section. For nutrient management plans covering nonagricultural, specialty land uses, for example residential lawns, office parks, and golf courses, the department may specify additional plan elements which are critical to the management of nutrients for a particular activity, and may eliminate requirements not pertinent to nonagricultural land uses.

B. Plan identification. Each plan shall be identified by a single cover sheet indicating:

1. Farmer/operator name and address;

2. Name, certificate number, and signature of the certified nutrient management planner that prepared the plan;

3. County and watershed code of land under the nutrient management plan;

4. Total acreage under the plan with double cropped acreage accounted for only once;

5. Acreage of cropland, hay, pasture, and specialty crops included in the plan for the first year of the plan;

6. Date the plan was prepared or revised; and

7. Type and approximate number of livestock, if applicable.

C. Map or aerial photograph.

1. Each plan shall contain a map or aerial photograph to identify:

a. The farm location and boundaries;

b. Individual field boundaries where nutrients will be applied;

c. Field numbers and acreages where nutrients will be applied;

d. Environmentally sensitive sites as defined in 4VAC50-85-10;

e. Setback areas for nonapplication for manure and biosolids as specified in 4VAC50-85-140 A 5 e;

f. Location of manure, biosolids, or waste storage if any; and

g. Intermittent or perennial streams and associated buffers (if the phosphorus index is used to determine phosphorus application rates for specific fields).

2. The map or aerial photograph shall be legible, with the features in subdivision 1 of this subsection recognizable. A farm sketch or soil survey map may be used when a map or aerial photograph is not available, if the features described in subdivision 1 of this subsection are recognizable.

D. Summary of nutrient management plan recommendations. Each plan shall contain one or more summary sheets that list the following information for each field:

1. Name of the farmer/operator;

2. Field identification numbers to include the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency tract and field numbers;

3. Field acreages;

4. Expected crops or crop rotations;

5. Crop nutrient needs per acre based on soil analysis results and soil productivity;

6. Legume nitrogen credits per acre;

7. Available nutrients in soil from previous crop and mineralization of organic residuals;

8. Recommended organic nutrient source application rates in tons per acre or 1,000 gallons per acre; plant available nitrogen as N, phosphorus as P₂O₅, and potassium as K₂O per acre; and spreading schedule to include approximate months of application;

9. Expected time of incorporation of organic nutrient sources into the soil if organic nutrient sources will be used;

10. Commercial fertilizer rates and timing of applications, including split applications of nitrogen and the possible use of soil nitrogen test results on a field before sidedressing with nitrogen; and

11. Numerical phosphorus and potassium soil analysis results expressed as ppm P and K, pounds per acre P and K or pounds per acre P₂O₅ and K₂O for all fields in the plan.

E. Individual fields may be grouped together if similar soil productivity levels, soil fertility levels, and environmentally sensitive site features exist pertaining to subsection D of this section.

F. Each plan shall also contain the following information in summary or narrative form:

1. Identification and management of environmentally sensitive sites;

2. Quantities of manure produced on the farm, available manure storage capacity, and manure analysis;

3. Total manure used as crop nutrients, if any, including manure from both on farm and off farm sources based on plan recommendations and total land requirements for manure utilization;

4. Quantity of unused manure, if applicable, and recommendations on appropriate use options;

5. Liming recommendations if soil pH is below the optimal range or to raise soil pH to no more than the upper limit for lime stabilized sewage sludge;

6. Recommendations or fact sheets to ensure efficient application of fertilizers and organic nutrient sources and other best management practices to reduce the potential for the degradation of surface and groundwater quality, which may include but are not limited to:

a. Equipment calibration;

b. Application timing and method;

c. Crop rotation and agronomic practices;

d. Soil nitrate testing; and

e. Cover crop management;

7. Information on maintaining and updating a nutrient management plan. General comments about plan maintenance shall include:

a. The length of time the plan is effective consistent with 4VAC50-85-140 D 1; and

b. Identification of circumstances or changes in the farm operation such as an increase in animal numbers that would require the plan to be updated prior to the time specified in this subdivision 7;

8. Expected crop yields for each field for the planned crop rotation;

9. The following information for all fields where the phosphorus applications are based on the phosphorus index:

a. Functioning riparian buffer widths and distances to surface waters in feet;

b. Presence of any contour planting at a maximum of 1.0% row grade, strip cropping, conservation tillage with greater than 30% residue, or terraces;

c. Percentage of required ground cover on pastures stated as <50% cover, 50-75% cover, or >75% cover;

d. Crop tillage type for each crop stated as either no-till or tilled for all cropland; and

e. If expected soil erosion for the phosphorus index was developed using RUSLE2, a copy of the RUSLE2 Profile Erosion Calculation Record computerized print-out indicating: (i) crop(s) for each year in the crop rotation to match those identified in the nutrient management plan, (ii) all mechanical field operations, and (iii) edge of field soil loss for each field; and

10. Other notes as needed pertaining to nutrient application, tillage, and other special conditions.

G. The nutrient management planner shall incorporate additional more restrictive plan requirements if required by other specific legislative, regulatory or incentive programs which apply to a specific operator.