Cost-Share to Test Products Available
Chester, MD (January 24, 2024) – The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association is offering cost-share enhanced nutrient management practices. Cost-share of $20 per acre is available for testing biofertilizer products or adding an additional split of nitrogen. Agribusinesses are eligible to receive $500 per farmer for providing technical assistance to the farmer and delivering data for economic analysis.
We ask that farms be located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and comply with core nutrient management requirements. Farms must enroll a minimum of 40 acres. For more eligibility information please visit our website at 4rMidAtlantic.com/cost-share.
For the biofertilizer cost-share, farmers will be asked to complete three different nutrient prescriptions on their corn crop. Eligible biofertilizers are those that claim to supplant nitrogen sources and make recommendations to reduce overall nitrogen application rate. The first strip will include the farmer’s typical nutrient management program without a biofertilizer, the second strip will include their typical nutrient management program with a biofertilizer, and the remainder of the field will include a reduction in nitrogen rate with the biofertilizer. Farmers are able to purchase and test the product they wish to trial.
For the split nitrogen cost-share, farmers will be asked to add an additional split of nitrogen to a portion of their 2024 corn crop, with the same total pounds of nitrogen across the field. This split can be performed at any point in the growing season as long as it is a new practice on the field.
The 4R Alliance will be collecting data from both trials to evaluate corn yield and nutrient use efficiency. The data will be aggregated with no identifying information or location shared publicly. Funding for the cost-share is being provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
For more information contact Jenell Eck McHenry at jenell.mdag@gmail.com or at 443-262-6969.