Restricting fertilizer use came up two years ago when state officials were trying to come up with a rescue plan for Lake Okeechobee, one of the most polluted waterways in Florida. One idea was to limit fertilizer use on lawns and farms around the lake. The recent move aims to keep counties and cities from developing different fertilizer rules, which would be very difficult for the state to enforce.

Many industry officials, however, oppose the new rule, and question whether it would even help the problem. ?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???re battling the myths of the impact that fertilizer has,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mary Hartney, president of the Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association. ?EUR??,,????'??There?EUR??,,????'???s a misperception that overuse is occurring, and we have the data and can prove that there?EUR??,,????'???s no overuse.?EUR??,,????'?? Hartney also states that eventually people would notice a degradation of their lawn.

Laurie Trenholm, a University of Florida associate professor of environmental horticulture who has studied urban turfgrass, said the new rules are ?EUR??,,????'??not going to be detrimental to lawns.?EUR??,,????'?? Golf courses and athletic fields that see a lot of wear may have some trouble, she said. If that happens, the rule allows application of larger amounts of fertilizer.

The new rule will likely take effect in late May or early June with a yearlong grace period for stores to sell out of current stock and replace it with the new formula.

Source: St. Petersburg Times