January 17, 2023
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued an updated map that will help farmers across the state comply with the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule restricts fall application of nitrogen fertilizer in areas vulnerable to contamination, and it outlines steps to reduce the severity of contamination in areas where nitrate is already elevated in public water supply wells.
The MDA has made changes to the Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions map which is accessible on the MDA website. There have been changes to the Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMA). One DWMSA was removed and two DWSMAs had boundary changes. Additional information on the fall application restrictions and exceptions to the restrictions can be found on the MDA’s website.
The restriction of fall application of nitrogen fertilizer on these acres will begin September 1, 2023. Farmers are encouraged to check the new map prior to the fall of 2023 to determine if their fields are subject to these restrictions.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
Palmer amaranth plant samples (vegetation or seeds) are routinely collected to obtain genetic validation for identificatio
- Collect five leaves from the greenest growing portion of the plant
- Only one sample (of five leaves) is needed for species testing for a single plant.
- Multiple plant identifications will need one sample (five leaves) collected from each plant. Each sample (of five leaves) needs to be packed and labeled separately following the below steps.
- Do not pack and ship wet leaves.
- For each individual plant sample, place leaves in a Ziplock® bag with a piece of paper towel and include a paper label that indicates: Palmer amaranth, the collector’s name, collection date, county collected, and plant location within the field (latitude/longitude).
- Write on the bag: collector’s initials, year collected, and vegetation sample number (for example, JP22Plant#001 – where JP are the initials for Jane Public who collected the sample, 22 represents the year collected – 2022, Plant#001identifies that this is the first plant sample collected).
- See below, "How do I ship my sample(s) for testing?", for steps on obtaining a free shipping label and sending your sample(s).
