The programs are working, state water officials say. Darrell Smith, assistant director of the Office of Agricultural Water Policy at the Florida Department of Agriculture, says BMPs are an example of how ag producers are helping to protect and save Florida’s water.

“Ag producers are not only being more efficient, they’re also helping to lessen Florida’s water supply issues,” Smith said. “Reports from our mobile irrigation labs over the last seven or eight years showed, that compared to alternative water supplies like desalination or big storage reservoirs, BMPs are an extremely cheap way to find new water. And so agriculture, I think, is again leading the way to help address the state’s water supply issue.”

Typical BMPs include managing nutrients to determine needs and sources, and managing nutrient applications (including manure) to minimize the effects on water sources. Managing irrigation methods and scheduling also helps to reduce water and nutrient loss. In addition, control of sediment and erosion helps to reduce or prevent the transport of nutrients and sediments from production areas to bodies of water.

BMPs are not one-size-fits-all. Citrus growers, for example, engage in practices such as water table management, limiting off-site discharge, onsite detention, nutrient management and correct equipment calibration and maintenance. Vegetable growers practice wetlands protection, grade stabilization, proper ditch construction and maintenance, precision agriculture and more.

Because BMPs make a real difference in both quality and quantity of Florida’s water, the University of Florida’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences partnered with growers and others to help create BMP manuals, which are guidelines for various sectors of the industry to help them meet their environmental goals. The Florida Department of Agriculture oversees the BMP program and continually updates and builds on the manuals.

Existing BMP manuals cover in the Ridge, Indian River, Peace River and Gulf regions; Lake Okeechobee BMPs; container nurseries; vegetable and agronomic crops; sod, cow/calf operations; conservation plans for specified ag operations; and specialty fruit and nut crops.

FDACS is about to adopt the “Water Quality/Quantity Best Management Practices for Florida Equine” manual. It also has completed a draft of a citrus BMP manual that will consolidate the four existing citrus BMP programs into one document, said Bill Bartnick, environmental administrator for FDACS. “That draft still requires approval by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and will undergo field-testing before beginning rulemaking,” he said.

As of May, the latest month for which state figures are available, the number of total acreage enrolled in all agricultural sectors was about 2.9 million. Of those, 872,362 were in vegetables and agronomic production, and almost 500,000 were in citrus.

Not only does the environment benefit from BMPs, producers do, too. By enrolling in a BMP program, a producer may be eligible for cost-share money. They reduce costs and increase production efficiencies. And those who are enrolled are presumed to be in compliance with water quality standards.

FDACS HEARS SUCCESS STORIES

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Water Policy has compiled a collection of BMP success stories. They include:

• After retrofitting a pesticide applicator with a high-efficiency “tree see” system, a citrus grower reduced his aldicarb application to a 249-acre grove from 6,119 pounds to 4,612 pounds, a savings of 1,507 pounds. The total cost to retrofit the applicator was $2,500, with $1,500 supplied by the FDACS cost-share program. 

• A watermelon farm achieved a farm-record yield using BMP irrigation and nutrient management tools. The amount of nitrogen used to grow the crop was 2 percent less than IFAS-recommended rates.

• A corn grower reduced nitrogen inputs by 30 pounds per acre on 70 acres using BMP tools without sacrificing yields. The grower since has reduced rates on all his fields.

• A North Florida grower used soil moisture equipment for irrigation management as part of a BMP demonstration project. Based on the resulting data, the grower modified his irrigation practices for perennial peanut, saving about 23 million gallons of water from one center pivot.

Some producers have gone even further. Lallymix Farms-Poucher Blueberry Farm in Zolfo Springs installed a weather station complete with soil probes, thermometers and notification systems. The farm has nine soil profiles, each with different soil moisture requirements. The soil probes are spaced every 15 feet across the farm and measure from the top of the soil to 16 inches below the surface. Each probe has eight soil moisture reading intervals. They access an online system to administer prescribed watering and freeze protection. Eliminating guesswork eliminates waste.

The farm also installed a tail water recovery system that has saved 158,000 gallons of groundwater per day since June 2008. The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provided funding for the project through their respective programs, FARMS and  EQIP.

For a producer to participate in BMP programs, he or she must schedule an on-site assessment by the state. The assessment is designed to look for opportunities to improve water quality and conservation. It includes a review of fertilization and irrigation practices, identification of water resource features through soil maps and aerial photography. The assessor then talks with the grower about possible ways to address any concerns. A checklist is completed that records the BMPs applicable to the operation. After a grower signs off and commits to implement BMPs, trained FDACS staff and contractors are available to assist with selecting BMPs and with understanding recordkeeping requirements.

Reading the appropriate BMP manual before scheduling the assessment can be very helpful. BMP manuals are available online. If you have questions about the manuals or you would like to schedule an assessment, contact FDACS at (850) 617-1727 or via email.

The April 2011 Harvester Online contains an article that goes into more depth about the background and scope of BMPs. Read that article here.