CSA practices may be implemented individually or in combination on a field or management unit.

(a) Reduced till standards. To qualify as reduced till under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed according to the following standards:

(1) Tillage methods where the entire soil surface is disturbed by tillage operations such as chisel plowing, field cultivating, tandem disking, vertical tillage, or ridge tillage are permitted, provided that the STIR value is no greater than 80. The STIR value must include all field operations that are performed during the crop interval (that is, from the time immediately following harvest or termination of one cash crop through harvest or termination of the next cash crop in the rotation, including fallow periods). Permitted methods are also commonly referred to as mulch tillage, conservation tillage, or ridge till;

(2) Primary inversion tillage implements (for example, moldboard plow) must not be used;

(3) Residue must not be burned; and

(4) Removing residue from the crop planting row area prior to or as part of the planting operation is allowed.

(b) No-till standards. To qualify as no-till under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed according to the following standards:

(1) Full-width soil disturbance must not be performed, from the time immediately following harvest or termination of one cash crop through harvest or termination of the next cash crop in the rotation, regardless of the depth of the tillage operation. Strip tillage and fertilizer injection are permitted, provided that the STIR value is no greater than 20. The STIR value must include all field operations that are performed during the crop interval (that is, from the time immediately following harvest or termination of one cash crop through harvest or termination of the next cash crop in the rotation, including fallow periods);

(2) Residue must not be burned; and

(3) Removing residue from directly within the seeding, planting, or transplanting area prior to or as part of the planting operation is allowed.

(c) Tillage management recordkeeping standards. Farm producers must maintain records for 5 years demonstrating required implementation of the reduced till or no-till practice. Records must contain sufficient detail to be readily understood and auditable. Records may be of varying types and origins including, but not limited to, physical documentation (for example, paper forms, invoices, receipts, seed tags), digital files (including from farm management software), data generated by farm equipment (for example, precision agriculture equipment), remotely sensed data, georeferenced and timestamped photographs, or data and records used for participation in USDA programs. Records must demonstrate:

(1) Field(s) or management unit(s) where the practice is implemented, including location and acreage;

(2) All field operations including tillage and all other operations (including fertilizing, planting, controlling pests, seeding, harvesting) that may cause surface disturbance;

(3) Type of field operation including depth and width of disturbance and average speed of operation;

(4) Equipment used;

(5) Date(s) that each operation occurred; and

(6) Total bushels of the harvested production crop harvested from field(s) or management unit(s) where the practice was implemented. If the farm producer uses both reduced till and no-till on different fields, records must indicate the total bushels produced using each CSA practice.

(d) Tillage management verification. When auditing the reduced till or no-till practice, third-party verifiers must review documentation demonstrating all field operations including the type of operation, equipment used, and timing of operation. Using these records, third-party verifiers must verify the correct calculation (or perform the calculation) of a crop interval STIR value and verify that the value meets the standards of the reduced till or no-till practice.

(a) Cover crop standards. To qualify for the cover crop practice under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed according to the following standards:

(1) Cover crop species selection, seedbed preparation, seeding rate(s), seeding date, seeding depth, and seeding method must be consistent with applicable soil and site conditions;

(2) When a leguminous cover crop is used individually or as part of a mix, the farm producer must develop a nutrient budget which demonstrates:

(i) The available nitrogen resulting from the cover crop; and

(ii) An adjustment in total planned nitrogen application to the harvested production crop following the cover crop;

(3) Cover crops must be seeded in the fall. Cover crop may be interseeded into an existing or established crop. Cover crop species and seeding dates should not adversely affect crop yield or interfere with the maintenance and harvest process;

(4) Cover crops should be seeded as early as possible and terminated as late as practical (late vegetative stage or later), with termination timing established to minimize the risk of yield loss and soil moisture depletion;

(5) Cover crops must be terminated via winter kill or using herbicide or non-soil disturbing mechanical methods (that is, roller crimper, mowing) in the spring;

(6) Planting green is permitted;

(7) Cover crop biomass must not be mechanically harvested or grazed. Residues must remain on the surface following termination and may not be burned; and

(8) Cover crops may not be fertilized.

(b) Cover crop recordkeeping standards. Farm producers must maintain records for 5 years demonstrating required implementation of the cover crop practice. Records must contain sufficient detail to be readily understood and auditable. Records may be of varying types and origins including, but not limited to, physical documentation (for example, paper forms, invoices, receipts, seed tags), digital files (including from farm management software), data generated by farm equipment (for example, precision agriculture equipment), remotely sensed data, georeferenced and timestamped photographs, or data and records used for participation in USDA programs. Records must demonstrate:

(1) Purchase and receipt of cover crop seed in sufficient quantities to cover the area seeded;

(2) Field(s) or management unit(s) where cover crop practice is implemented, including location and acreage;

(3) Cover crop seeding date, method, and seeding rate;

(4) Total acreage seeded in cover crop across the operation;

(5) Photographic evidence of cover crop establishment;

(6) Cover crop termination date and method; and

(7) Total bushels of the crop harvested from field(s) or management unit(s) where the cover crop practice was implemented immediately prior to seeding or planting the harvested production crop.

(c) Cover crop verification. When auditing the cover crop practice, third-party verifiers must review documentation demonstrating cover crop species selection, seeding date, seeding method, seeding rate, total seeded acreage, termination date, and termination method. Through an on-site visit, remote video conferencing, remote sensing data, or georeferenced and timestamped photographs, third-party verifiers must verify the establishment of cover crops.

(a) Nutrient management standards. To qualify for any nutrient management practice (nitrification inhibitors, controlled release fertilizers, no fall application, split in-season application) under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed according to the following standards:

(1) Prior to implementation, the farm producer must develop and document a planned nutrient budget, yield goal, and applications of at a minimum, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (N-P-K) in pounds per acre. The nutrient budget must account for all known measurable nutrient sources and removals. Sources of nitrogen may include, but are not limited to, commercial fertilizers (including starter and in-furrow starter or pop-up fertilizer), animal manures, legume crops, green manures, plant or crop residues, compost, organic by-products, municipal and industrial biosolids, wastewater, organic materials, estimated plant available soil nutrients, and irrigation water; and

(2) The farm producer must base the nutrient budget on current soil test results or the professional opinion of an agricultural expert who is employed by the Cooperative Extension System or the agricultural departments of universities, or other persons approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), whose research or occupation is related to the specific crop or practice for which such expertise is sought. Soil test must be no older than 2 years. Tissue testing may be used for monitoring or adjusting the nutrient management plan in accordance with the state LGU guidance, or industry practice recognized by the state LGU.

(b) Nitrification inhibitor standards. To qualify for the practice under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section and with the following standards:

(1) The farm producer must apply an inhibitor with all synthetic nitrogen (synthetic N) applications, including any pre-emergent applications. Inhibitors must be defined by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officers (AAPFCO) and be accepted for use by the State fertilizer control official, or similar authority, with responsibility for verification of product guarantees, ingredients (by AAPFCO definition), and label claims.

(2) [Reserved]

(c) No fall application standards. To qualify for the no fall application practice under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed as specified in paragraph (a) of this section and with the following standards:

(1) The first synthetic N application must occur within 30 days prior to or at the time of planting; and

(2) The farm producer must not apply synthetic N in the fall on fallow fields or fields in cover crop. This includes any synthetic N included in phosphorus fertilizers.

(d) Split in-season application standards. To qualify for the split in-season application practice under this part, field(s) or management unit(s) must be managed accordingly in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section and with the following standards:

(1) Farm Producer must apply at least 75 percent of total crop synthetic N needs after crop emergence. Post emergent synthetic N may be reduced based on crop scouting, in-season soil sampling or analysis, or plant tissue sampling or analysis. Nutrient availability should be timed to crop uptake.

(2) [Reserved]

(e) Nutrient management recordkeeping standards. Farm producers must maintain records demonstrating correct implementation of the nutrient management practice(s) for 5 years. Records must contain sufficient detail to be readily understood and auditable. Records may be of varying types and origins, including, but not limited to, physical documentation (for example, paper forms, invoices, receipts, seed tags), digital files (including from farm management software), data generated by farm equipment (for example, precision agriculture equipment), remotely sensed data, georeferenced and timestamped photographs, or data and records used for participation in USDA programs. Records must demonstrate:

(1) Development of a nutrient budget that accounts for realistic yield goal and all known and measurable sources of N-P-K;

(2) Soil test results, soil test methods, laboratory where soil test was conducted, and date of the soil test within 2 years of the development of the nutrient budget. In-season soil samples or tissue samples results for N analysis should be provided along with methods, laboratory, and date sampled;

(3) Date(s), method(s), location(s) of all nutrient applications in pounds per acre for N-P-K;

(4) The source and type of nutrients supplied, including nutrient content;

(5) Field(s) or management unit(s) where nutrient management practice(s) is implemented, including location and acreage;

(6) Planting or seeding date for field(s) and management unit(s) where nutrient management practice(s) is implemented;

(7) Total acreage using each nutrient management practice across the operation; and

(8) Total bushels of the crop harvested from field(s) or management unit(s) where each nutrient management practice was implemented.

(f) Nutrient management verification. When auditing nutrient management practice(s), the third-party verifier must verify development of a nutrient management budget that accounts for all known and measurable sources of nutrients (that is, N-P-K). For nitrification inhibitors, the third-party verifier must verify that inhibitors were used with 100 percent of synthetic N application on all field(s) or management unit(s) where the practice was implemented. For timing practices (no fall application or split in-season application), the third-party verifier must verify application timing through management records.