EASTON, MARYLAND — On Shore farms that never spread manure or fertilizer on fields, the nutrient-management clock just got longer.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture said Aug. 26, 2026, that a regulatory update in COMAR 15.20.07 lets qualifying agricultural operations extend nutrient management plans from three years to five. The change covers no-land, pasture-only, and organic poultry operations that MDA describes as low-risk because they do not spread manure or other nutrient sources to the land.

“Maryland farmers have long been leaders in responsible nutrient management and environmental stewardship,” Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks said in the release. “By extending the plan cycle for qualifying low-risk operations, we are reducing unnecessary administrative burdens while continuing our commitment to protecting soil health, water quality and the Chesapeake Bay.”

No-land operations include confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), animal feeding operations (AFOs), and other regulated livestock operations with no land available for nutrient application; the five-year plan extension aligns with the Maryland Department of the Environment’s five-year CAFO permit cycle. Pasture-only operations are entirely pasture land with no manual or mechanical nutrient applications. Organic poultry operations are those where birds graze outdoors under organic rules and no nutrients are applied to fields manually or mechanically.

Operations that apply commercial fertilizers, manure, biosolids, or other nutrient sources to the land do not qualify. Nutrients deposited naturally by grazing animals on pasture are not counted as applications. For pasture-only and organic poultry operations, soil tests remain valid for the full five years if they are taken within one year of plan development.

Maryland farming operations that generate more than $2,500 in income or manage 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight must have a nutrient management plan when fertilizing crops or managing animal manure, the Aug. 26 release states. MDA’s Nutrient Management Program page frames the same requirement that growers follow nutrient management plans when fertilizing crops and managing animal waste. Nutrient management plans set how fertilizer, manure, and other nutrient sources are managed to support crops while limiting excess nutrients reaching local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. Growers with questions can contact a regional nutrient management specialist through MDA’s Resource Conservation program.