Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training in Kenton

Hardin County – A three-hour fertilizer certification program will be held in Kenton for any private or commercial applicator who needs to obtain fertilizer certification for the first time. This training will be held at the Hardin County OSU Extension office, 1021 W Lima Street, Kenton, Ohio on Monday, February 7. The class will begin at 9:00 am and end at 12:00 pm. There is a $30 class fee payable to OSU Extension for this training.

Please arrive early so that materials can be distributed and the program can start on time. This training will meet the fertilizer certification requirements for those with and without a pesticide license. Pre-registration is required by calling the Hardin County OSU Extension office at 419-674-2297 or register online at: https://go.osu.edu/HardinPAT-FACT by January 31.

Agricultural fertilizer applicator certification is required in Ohio for farmers who apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres of agricultural production grown primarily for sale. This requirement was signed into law in June 2014, and also requires certification for commercial agricultural fertilizer applicators. Farmers who have their fertilizer applied by co-ops or custom applicators are not required to be certified.

Applicators who are a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) or Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) are not required to attend the training. Fertilizer is defined for the regulation as any substance containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or other plant nutrient in a dry or liquid formulation. All application types such as broadcast, side dress, sub-surface, knifing and other are included in the certification requirement. Lime and limestone are not included as fertilizer for the certification and farmers who only use starter fertilizer in their planter boxes are exempted.

The agriculture fertilizer certification is not required for manure applications as these are currently regulated, unless farmers are applying livestock or poultry manure from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (CAFF). In this case, they would need to have either the CLM or Ohio Fertilizer Certification.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is the agency issuing the certification for agriculture fertilizer applications. Once an applicator completes the fertilizer training, the ODA will bill them $30 for their fertilizer certificate unless the applicator currently holds a pesticide applicator license.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture website has information regarding the regulation at: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/fertilizers

For more information about other training sessions or general materials for the agriculture fertilizer certification, visit: nutrienteducation.osu.edu or contact Mark Badertscher, Hardin County OSU Extension at badertscher.4@osu.edu