Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plans

Irrigation and Nutrient Management Plan (INMP)

By March 1, 2025, all operators must develop an Irrigation and Nutrient Management Plan (INMP) and annually thereafter. For perennial crops, an INMP must be developed for the given calendar year, with the initial INMP developed for the 2025 calendar year. For annual crops, an INMP must be developed for all crops that will be established in the given calendar year, with the initial INMP(s) developed for all crops that will be established in 2025. Additional INMP details are listed below:

• Developed annually and kept on-farm
• One INMP developed per Management Unit (same crop, age, management practices), and contiguous fields)
• INMPs include a pre-season element (anticipating crop irrigation and nutrient needs) and a post-season element (recording actual N application, irrigation water applied, and harvest yield)
• INMP pre-season elements are required to be certified
• Forms: INMP Template and INMP  Instructions

Irrigation and Nutrient Management Report (INMR)

By March 1, 2026, all operators must report summary information from the INMP on their Irrigation and Nutrient Management Report (INMR). For perennial crops, the INMR will cover the INMP(s) from the prior calendar year. For annual crops, the INMR will cover the INMP(s) from all crops that were harvested during the prior calendar year. For the initial March 1, 2026 INMR reporting for annual crops, only crops that had a completed crop cycle during 2025 (established and harvested) will be reported. Annual crops that were established in 2025 but not yet harvested by the end of 2025 will be included on the March 1, 2027 INMR (which covers the 2026 calendar year). Additional INMR details are listed below:

• Summary information to be reported per INMP Management Unit, total N applied, harvest yield, and implemented management practices.
• INMRs to be submitted to VCAILG, anonymized, then reported to Regional Board
• Data used to identify and follow-up with outliers to provide targeted notification and education
• Form:  INMR Template

Certified INMPs can be developed in one of three ways:

1. Self-certify by a grower who attends a California Department of Food and Agriculture Fertilizer Research and Education Program (CDFA FREP) approved training program.
2. Self-certified by a grower to adhere to site-specific recommendations from the Natural Resource Conservation Center (NRCS).
3. Certified by a Crop Advisor (see link below for list).

Available resources for the development of certified plans are listed below.

• INMP Template
• INMP Instructions
• INMR Template
• DRAFT N Removal Coefficient List
• Nitrogen Demand Avocados
• Nitrogen Demand Citrus
• Geisseler_Report
• INMP Self-Certification Training Presentation (August 29 and 30, 2024)
• INMP Self-Certification Training Workbook
• CCA List