A three-hour fertilizer certification program will be held in Celina for any private or commercial applicator who needs to obtain fertilizer certification for the first time. This training will be held at the Tri-Star Career Compact, 7655 St. Rt. 703, Celina, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 11. The class will begin at 1:00 and end at 4:00 pm. There is a $30 class fee payable to OSU Extension for this training.
This training will meet the fertilizer certification requirements for those with and without a pesticide license. Pre-registration is suggested by calling the Mercer County OSU Extension office at 419-586-2179.
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.
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 others are included in the certification requirement. Lime and limestone are not included as fertilizer for the certification.
The agriculture fertilizer certification is not required for manure applications, unless farmers are applying livestock or poultry manure from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is the agency issuing the certification for agriculture fertilizer applications.