Use of Fertilizers in Maryland

Agricultural Fertilizer Use is Declining in the State of Maryland

Between 1960 and 2003, Maryland lost 1.67 million acres of farmland and gained more than 2 million new residents. Even as farmers, working from scientifically established nutrient standards, have learned to grow more on less land through the judicious application of fertilizers, overall fertilizer use for the state of Maryland has shown a general upward trend. How can fewer farmers fertilizing less land result in more fertilizer use in Maryland? The answer is that fertilizer use by non-farming residents has increased.

All residents of the State contribute to the waste streams that flow to the Chesapeake Bay. New state residents are living on land that was once in agriculture and are applying fertilizer to home lawns and gardens. The growing trend of non-farm fertilizer use illustrates that we will need to do more in the future to establish controls for urban and suburban fertilizer application. As more farms come into compliance with the Maryland Nutrient Management Regulations, our policymakers will need to establish better controls for non-farm fertilizer. Farmers and non-farmers alike must work toward the precise and judicious application of fertilizers if we are to achieve our nutrient reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay.

Fertilizer Use Trends in Maryland

• Total Maryland fertilizer use between 1990 and 2004 has averaged 485,780 tons, except for two spikes in 1999 (925,000 tons) and 2000 (684,000 tons).
• Farm use of fertilizer has decreased from 1990 to 2014.
• Non-farm use of fertilizer has increased from 1990 to 2014.
• In 1990, non-farm fertilizer use averaged 13% of the total.
• After 1999, non-farm fertilizer use jumped to 37%, with 45% of fertilizer in 2001 representing non-farm use.