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Manure Sidedressing, Ohio

As the famous saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and some water quality and nutrient management state laws were the drivers for the development of the Ohio Nutrient Management Record Keeper. ONMRK, as it can be found in both Google Play and the Apple Store, is a digital record-keeping system that syncs a smartphone or tablet to create a simple, easy and quick way to record fertilizer and manure applications from the field.

“This app has been a great asset for farmers to stay in compliance with two state regulations in place, including Senate Bill 1, which sets parameters on when farmers can apply nutrients based on the time of year and the weather conditions, and Senate Bill 150, which sets guidelines for record keeping of what nutrients are being applied and the rate of that application,” said Jordan Hoewischer, Ohio Farm Bureau director of water quality and research. “The data collected can only be accessed by the farmer and utilized for their own farm’s records and for proof of compliance if need be.”

The ONMRK app was developed by the Knox County Farm Bureau, Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District and OSU Extension Knox County, with the support of more than $30,000 in grant money through Ohio Farm Bureau’s County Water Quality Initiative Program, the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio State University Extension and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

After setting up the ONMRK app on their mobile device, farmers can easily record what nutrients they apply on their farms and fields. It uses GPS to pinpoint exactly where farmers are on their acreage and give an accurate report instantly. The app also lets farmers know if conditions aren’t conducive for nutrient applications in that area.

The free app is available to all farmers at onmrk.com.

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