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Best Management Practices (BMPs)


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Best management practices, or BMPs, are cost-efficient processes and activities that improve many aspects of daily life, from healthcare to food service. Agricultural BMPs aim to reduce water use and water quality impacts on farms and ranches while improving or maintaining soil. Additional BMPs focus on forestry practices and lawn care. In Florida, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) adopts by rule specific BMP manuals as a part of the state’s water quality policy.

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Related Topics: Best Management Practices (BMPs), Pine Flatwoods, Citrus BMPs

Publications


Total Maximum Daily Loads and Agricultural BMPs in Florida

Kati W. Migliaccio, Kelly T. Morgan, Brian J. Boman, Sandra M. Guzmán, Haimanote K. Bayabil, andBrian Boman

Best Management Practices in the Everglades Agricultural Area: Fertilizer Application Control

T. A. Lang, S. H. Daroub, O. A. Diaz, and M. Chen

This EDIS document is one in a series of publications that provide current implementation guidelines for commonly employed BMPs that target the reduction of P loads leaving EAA farms via drainage water. This document is SL-232, a fact sheet of the Soil and Water Science Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date January 2006.

Homeowner Best Management Practices for the Home Lawn

A. J. Lindsey, Marco Schiavon, J. Bryan Unruh, Laurie E. Trenholm, andLaurie Trenholm

A healthy lawn is an important component of an urban landscape. Not only do lawns increase the value of a property, but they also reduce soil erosion, filter stormwater runoff, cool the air, and reduce glare and noise. A healthy lawn effectively filters and traps sediment and pollutants that could otherwise contaminate surface waters and groundwater. This publication is intended for those who maintain their own lawn and landscapes.

Carrot (Daucus carota) Production in the Sandy Soils of North Florida: Nitrogen Fertilization Guidelines

Morgan Morrow, Vivek Sharma, Robert C. Hochmuth, Charles Barrett, and Marina Burani-Arouca

This publication discusses carrot growth characteristics and provides nitrogen fertilizer best management practices for carrot crops growing in north Florida. The nitrogen management guidelines presented in this publication are based on multiyear field-based research conducted by UF/IFAS. Written by Morgan Morrow, Vivek Sharma, Robert C. Hochmuth, Charles Barrett, and Marina Burani-Arouca, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, July 2023.

Glossary of Site-Specific Nutrient Management Terms

Emma Matcham, Lauri M. Baker, Jay Capasso, Osvaldo Gargiulo, Lauren Geiss, Emma Matcham, Kelly T. Morgan, Ricky Telg, andLincoln Zotarelli

This glossary provides clear, unified definitions for terms and is intended to help aid communication with nutrient management professionals across the state, especially when sharing new site-specific nutrient management recommendations. This glossary should help lessen confusion on how the listed terms are defined and interpreted, thereby helping to improve communication within and across disciplines. Written by Lauri Baker, Jay Capasso, Osvaldo Gargiulo, Lauren Geiss, Emma Matcham, Kelly Morgan, Ricky Telg, and Lincoln Zotarelli, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, April 2025.

The Basics of Agricultural BMPs in Northern Florida and Southwestern Georgia

Charles Barrett, Martha C. Monroe, andCharles Barrett

Best management practices (BMPs) are cost-efficient processes that improve daily life, from healthcare to food service. Agricultural BMPs aim to reduce water use and improve water quality and soil on farms and ranches as well as to encourage better forestry practices and lawn care. This fact sheet introduces non-farmers to agricultural BMPs.

Best Management Practices (BMPs): Perimeter Borders

Vivek Sharma, Kati W. Migliaccio, Brian Boman, Jemy Hinton, and Kevin Hancock

This publication addresses perimeter borders as a best management practice. Written by Vivek Sharma, Kati W. Migliaccio, Brian Boman, Jemy Hinton, and Kevin Hancock, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, revised May 2021.

2025 Handbook of Florida Water Regulation: Agricultural Best Management Practices

Michael T. Olexa, Weizhe Weng, Tatiana Borisova, Weizhe Weng, andSean M. Olevnik

This handbook is designed to provide a summary of the principal federal and state (Florida) laws that directly or indirectly relate to agriculture. Because these laws are subject to constant revision, portions of the handbook could become outdated at any time. The reader should use it as a means to determine areas in which to seek more information and as a brief directory of agencies that can help answer more specific questions.

Fertilization and Irrigation Needs for Florida Lawns and Landscapes

R. Klein, A.J. Lindsey, M. McMillan, J. B. Unruh, and M.D. Dukes

Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Best Management Practices (BMPs) for management of commercial and residential lawns and landscapes were developed by scientists with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). These BMPs assist homeowners and professionals in making management choices that will help sustain lawns and landscapes in Florida without impairing Florida’s water resources.