
Nutrient Consultant Resources
Becoming a Delaware Nutrient Consultant
Step 1: Attend four Delaware Nutrient Management Certification Sessions. Initial certification sessions are offered twice a year and the exam is offered three times a year.
Step 2: Pass the Delaware Nutrient Management Consultant Exam. The Nutrient Consultant Exam is also one of three exams you must pass to become a Certified Crop Adviser in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions and you have two hours to complete the exam. Study materials are provided below to help you prepare for the exam. There is no fee to take the exam. On the day of the exam, study materials are not allowed in the exam area and you are required to show a photo I.D. prior to taking the exam.
Note: Delaware does not test on biosolids so if you plan to write Nutrient Management Plans for biosolids in another state, you should take the Nutrient Management exam in that state.
Step 3: Pay a $100 fee to Delaware Department of Agriculture annually. This fee is only paid after passing the exam.
Step 4: Maintain your certification by acquiring five hours of continuing education every year. Delaware Nutrient Consultants are also required to write a Nutrient Management Plan once every three years.
Reciprocity with Maryland
There is a reciprocal agreement between the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Nutrient Consultants who are certified in Maryland and in good standing with the Maryland Nutrient Management Program may seek reciprocity by attending Delaware Nutrient Management Certification Session I and submitting an application to the Delaware Department of Agriculture with a copy of their Maryland Nutrient Management Consultant Certificate.
Nutrient Consultant Competency Areas
You should review and be familiar with the information in the Nutrient Management and the Soil and Water Management Competency Areas.
Nutrient Management Planning Tools
- Watershed Maps
- Nutrient Management Plan Checklist
- CAFO Nutrient Management Plan Checklist
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)
- State Technical Standards
- DDA Approved Soil Testing Laboratories
- Phosphorus Site Index Manual
- University of Maryland Extension-Manure Quantity Estimation Solid Manure
- University of Maryland Extension-Manure Quantity Estimation Solid and Liquid
- University of Maryland Extension-Manure Quantity Estimation Small Operations
- University of Maryland Extension-Manure Quantity Estimation Poultry Litter
Links
- Delaware Nutrient Management Law
- Delaware Nutrient Management Regulations
- Certified Crop Adviser Program
- Delaware Nutrient Recommendations