Producers who apply significant quantities of manure as fertilizer and those who apply fertilizer for hire on someone else's property will be required to get a Category 14 Pesticide License, also known as an Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification.
Category 14 will be administered as part of the Private Pesticide Applicator System. If you already have a license, Cat 14 will be added to your license. The rules for the Category 14 are very similar to those for the current Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP). Basically, you need to take an initial exam to receive your license, which is good for five years. If you attend three approved training sessions within the next 5 years you will be eligible for renewal. The Cat 14 training sessions will be rolled into the current PARP sessions so you can be recertified for Cat 14 by attending three pesticide trainings, even if none of those have any fertilizer subject matter. Conversely, someone with a Private pesticide license can attend sessions on fertilizer application (as long as these are approved programs) and receive their renewal credit.
The question is; Who needs a Category 14 License? There are two distinct categories.
1) Those transporting or applying manure from a CFO unless they apply less than 10 cubic yards or 4,000 gallons of manure in a year.
2) Those transporting or applying commercial fertilizer for hire.
You do not need a Category 14 license if you apply commercial fertilizer to your own acres.
This link has the Category 14 training manual. This is a very large file so if you have a slow internet connection, it may take a while. If you bring a flash drive to the Extension Office I can load it for you. Please call before you come - I can't load it if I'm not here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. The Adobe Reader is a free download (can't give that one to you though).
This link has the schedule of the free Category 14 training and exam sessions.
Also, you will be able to take a test-only exam with no training at Purdue.
You must register for all of the above trainings and exams.
The Category 14 requirements go into effect on January 1, 2012. There's still some time but we all know how quickly it goes and I expect that the free trainings will fill up fairly quickly.
If you are a Commercial Applicator, your rules are different. See the Indiana State Chemist Fertilizer Page for additional information.
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