Forty-nine Ontario Certified
Crop Advisors have achieved 4R Nutrient Management Specialist designation.
They passed exams written in
August.
Their expertise is likely to
be in keen demand as Ontario farmers are ramping up their efforts to reduce
phosphorous pollution in Lake Erie.
A number of farm
organizations, including those who speak for hog and beef producers, are taking
a pro-active approach to the challenge, figuring that if farmers don’t act now,
they will be forced to comply with legislation the politicians are likely to
put in place.
The 4R Nutrient Management
program calls for the right amount of nutrients from the right nutrient sources
to be applied at the right time and place.
Sixty-five Ontario CCAs wrote
the inaugural Ontario 4R NMS exam on August 5. Ontario and 10 states are the first to offer
the specialty exam and designation.
“We are very pleased with the
number of CCAs who registered for the August 4R exam,” said Clare Kinlin,
chairman of Ontario’s Certified Crop Advisor association.
“Summer is an extremely busy
time in our industry and the fact that these CCAs devoted the time to prepare for
and write the exam shows their commitment to the specialty,” he said.
"With
the growing concern around nutrient stewardship in Ontario, we can expect more
CCAs to take a leadership role."
Not
all CCAs do nutrient management work, but focus on other aspects of crop
advising.
