BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (May 2, 2016) – 16 FS Certified Crop Specialists and GROWMARK agronomists are among the first to earn distinctive 4R Nutrient Management Specialist (NMS) certification through the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program. The voluntary program equips CCAs with focused knowledge and skills to manage nutrients in a sustainable fashion. Roughly 100 total CCAs nationwide earned the specialized certification.
In order to become both CCA and 4R NMS certified, individuals must pass rigorous exams and demonstrate experience advising farmers on crop production practices. Once an individual has become certified, they must adhere to a code of ethics and complete continuing education criteria.
Nutrient management is an integrated process that considers agronomic aspects of soil and crop nutrition as well as the social, economic, and environmental relationships with the system. The 4R approach to nutrient stewardship is an international fertilizer best management practice of applying the right source at the right rate at the right time in the right place.
Proficiency areas tested include nutrient management planning; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; secondary macronutrients and micronutrients; and manure management. By completing this training, crop advisers become better equipped to utilize inputs sustainably in order to help grower profitability, minimize nutrient run off and improve water quality.
“We are incredibly proud of the individuals who earned 4R NMS certification,” said Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK Director of Agronomy Marketing. “Managing nitrogen and other nutrients in a sustainable fashion is a top priority throughout the FS and GROWMARK Systems. The completion of this voluntary and challenging training will give these certified crop advisers advanced skills and knowledge to share with their co-workers and farmer customers in order to maximize input utilization,” he added.
GROWMARK provides on-going training to FS Crop Specialists keeping them up-to-date on sustainable agronomic practices. The special exam, developed by the American Society of Agronomy and the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) program, was first offered in August 2015 and a second time in February of this year.
Certified Crop Advisers earning 4R NMS certification:
Mark Alan Bauman – Christian County Farmers Supply Company
Emily Ewoldt – New Century FS
Seth Geisler – GROWMARK
Matthew Gerlach – AgVantage FS
John Grandin – GROWMARK
Brian Henze – GROWMARK
Thomas Hill – Prairieland FS
Jay Matthews – AgVantage FS
John Musser – Stephenson Service Company
Jacob Ness – AgVantage FS
Troy Thomas – Conserv FS
Kyle Vogelzang – Evergreen FS
Nicole Wagner – Insight FS
Todd Wibben – Evergreen FS
Michael Wilson – Wabash Valley Service Company
John Wyss – Heritage FS
About GROWMARK:
GROWMARK, Inc. is an agricultural cooperative with annual sales of $8.8 billion (FY 2015 data) providing agronomy, energy, facility planning, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services in more than 40 states and Ontario, Canada. GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by affiliated member cooperatives. More information is available at www.growmark.com and www.fssystem.com.
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