Best Management Practices for Georgia Agriculture

Conservation Practices to Protect Surface Water Quality

Second Edition

This manual is designed to provide the agriculture community with knowledge of the best management practices (BMPs) that work to protect surface water quality as well as to help agency personnel educate farmers about BMPs and their usefulness. Best Management Practices for Georgia Agriculture is a compilation of conservation practices that address surface water quality and includes an estimate of the effectiveness and relative cost of each BMP. This second edition of the manual also includes an expanded section on nutrient management planning.

In this manual, you will find a number next to the practice name at beginning of each practice description. This number is a reference for the NRCS Conservation Practice Standard number. You will also find the same information at the bottom of the page in the Additional Resources section. Other practices that are discussed will also be listed as well as sources of more information or guidance. In addition, state and federal contact information, Georgia agricultural organizations contact information and other resources have been provided in Chapter 3 of this manual.

This manual is laid out in seven planning sections. First is Planning for Your Farm followed by Nutrient Management Planning for Your Farm, General Farm Management Planning, Animal Waste Management Planning, Irrigation Water Management Planning, Row Crop Management Planning and lastly, Wetlands & Stream Protection and Management Planning.

At the beginning of each section, you will find a flow chart that will help guide you to the practices that address specific pollutant issues on your farm. You will notice that some of the practices listed on the flow chart will not be found in that particular section. Since some practices fall into more than one planning section, they have been located in the most relevant section. Practices in other planning sections that are not listed on the flow charts may also be applicable to your farm operation. Be sure to review each section in order to identify the BMPs that best fit your farming operation.

Entire manual (PDF)

Table of Contents

Title Page, Table of Contents, Acronyms (PDF)

Chapter 1. Introduction

Purpose of the Manual, Best Management Practices Index, Nonpoint Source Pollution & Control Chart, Practice Definitions & Other Important Terminology (PDF)

Chapter 2. Best Management Practice Planning

Sections 1. Plan to Manage and Manage to Plan, 2. Nutrient Management Planning for Your Farm, 3. General Farm Management Planning, 4. Animal Waste Management Planning and Minimum Requirements for CAFOs (PDF)

Sections 5. Irrigation Water Management Planning, 6. Row Crop Management Planning, 7. Wetlands & Stream Protection Management Planning BBC  (PDF)

Chapter 3. Additional Information

GA Agricultural Organizations Info, GA State Agencies Info, Federal Agencies Info, Pesticide Handling, Disposal & Emergency Info (Pesticide Online Info), For Additional Info, Mandatory Federal BMPs for Roads in Wetlands (PDF)