83_FR_46882 83 FR 46703 - Notice of Recommended Standard Methods for Use as Soil Health Indicator Measurements

83 FR 46703 - Notice of Recommended Standard Methods for Use as Soil Health Indicator Measurements

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 179 (September 14, 2018)

Page Range46703-46703
FR Document2018-19985

Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a technical note on a group of recommended standard methods for soil health indicators selected by a collaborative multi-organizational effort, as described in the document. USDA/NRCS and partner efforts to assess soil health problems and impacts of management nationally, as part of conservation planning and implementation, will be facilitated if soil health indicators are measured using a standard set of methods. Soil health is defined as the capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem to sustain plants, animals, and humans. Six key soil physical and biological processes were identified that must function well in a healthy soil, and therefore would especially benefit from measurement methods standardization: (1) Organic matter dynamics and carbon sequestration, (2) soil structural stability, (3) general microbial activity, (4) C food source, (5) bioavailable N, and (6) microbial community diversity. The chosen methods met several criteria including indicator effectiveness with respect to management sensitivity and process interpretability, ease of use, cost effectiveness, measurement repeatability, and ability to be used for agricultural management decisions. The soil health indicator methods included are soil organic carbon (dry combustion), water-stable aggregation (Mikha and Rice, 2004), short-term mineralizable carbon (Schindelbeck et al., 2016), four enzymes: [beta]-glucosidase (Deng and Popova, 2011), N-acetyl-[beta]-D-glucosaminidase (Deng and Popova, 2011), acid or alkaline phosphatase (Acosta-Mart[iacute]nez and Tabatabai, 2011), and arylsulfatase (Klose et al., 2011), permanganate oxidizable carbon (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), autoclaved citrate extractable (ACE) protein (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (Buyer and Sasser 2012). Standard operating procedures to be used in laboratories have been provided in the appendices.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 179 (Friday, September 14, 2018) 
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 179 (Friday, September 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 46703]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19985]



[[Page 46703]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2018-0006]


Notice of Recommended Standard Methods for Use as Soil Health 
Indicator Measurements

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed technical note ``Recommended 
Soil Health Indicators and Associated Laboratory Procedures'' for 
public review and comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a 
technical note on a group of recommended standard methods for soil 
health indicators selected by a collaborative multi-organizational 
effort, as described in the document. USDA/NRCS and partner efforts to 
assess soil health problems and impacts of management nationally, as 
part of conservation planning and implementation, will be facilitated 
if soil health indicators are measured using a standard set of methods. 
Soil health is defined as the capacity of the soil to function as a 
vital living ecosystem to sustain plants, animals, and humans. Six key 
soil physical and biological processes were identified that must 
function well in a healthy soil, and therefore would especially benefit 
from measurement methods standardization: (1) Organic matter dynamics 
and carbon sequestration, (2) soil structural stability, (3) general 
microbial activity, (4) C food source, (5) bioavailable N, and (6) 
microbial community diversity. The chosen methods met several criteria 
including indicator effectiveness with respect to management 
sensitivity and process interpretability, ease of use, cost 
effectiveness, measurement repeatability, and ability to be used for 
agricultural management decisions. The soil health indicator methods 
included are soil organic carbon (dry combustion), water-stable 
aggregation (Mikha and Rice, 2004), short-term mineralizable carbon 
(Schindelbeck et al., 2016), four enzymes: [beta]-glucosidase (Deng and 
Popova, 2011), N-acetyl-[beta]-D-glucosaminidase (Deng and Popova, 
2011), acid or alkaline phosphatase (Acosta-Mart[iacute]nez and 
Tabatabai, 2011), and arylsulfatase (Klose et al., 2011), permanganate 
oxidizable carbon (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), autoclaved citrate 
extractable (ACE) protein (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), and phospholipid 
fatty acid analysis (Buyer and Sasser 2012). Standard operating 
procedures to be used in laboratories have been provided in the 
appendices.

DATES: 
    Applicable Date: This is Applicable September 14, 2018.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before December 13, 2018. A 
final version of this technical note will be published after the close 
of the 90-day period and after consideration of all comments.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may download the draft Technical Note at 
https://go.usa.gov/xUFJE.
    Comments should be submitted, identified by Docket Number NRCS-
2018-0006, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning and 
Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside 
Avenue, Building 1-1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    NRCS will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. In 
general, personal information provided with comments will be posted. If 
your comment includes your address, phone number, email, or other 
personal identifying information (PII), your comments, including PII, 
may be available to the public. You may ask in your comment that your 
PII be withheld from public view, but this cannot be guaranteed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Dr. Diane Stott, National Soil Health 
Specialist, Soil Health Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 915 W State Street, West 
Lafayette, IN 47907, [email protected].
    Electronic copies can be downloaded or printed from https://go.usa.gov/xUFJE.
    Requests for paper versions may be directed to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic 
Planning and Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Building 1-1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.

    Signed this 28th day of August 2018, in Washington, DC.
Leonard Jordan,
Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-19985 Filed 9-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-16-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 179 / Friday, September 14, 2018 / Notices 46703 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE and Sasser 2012). Standard operating DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE procedures to be used in laboratories Natural Resources Conservation have been provided in the appendices. Bureau of Industry and Security Service DATES: Proposed Information Collection; [Docket No. NRCS–2018–0006] Applicable Date: This is Applicable Comment Request; License Transfer September 14, 2018. Notice of Recommended Standard Comment Date: Submit comments on and Duplicate License Services Methods for Use as Soil Health or before December 13, 2018. A final AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Indicator Measurements version of this technical note will be Security (BIS), Commerce. published after the close of the 90-day ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Natural Resources period and after consideration of all Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. SUMMARY: The Department of comments. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Commerce, as part of its continuing ACTION: Notice of availability of ADDRESSES: effort to reduce paperwork and proposed technical note Obtaining Documents: You may respondent burden, invites the general ‘‘Recommended Soil Health Indicators download the draft Technical Note at public and other Federal agencies to and Associated Laboratory Procedures’’ https://go.usa.gov/xUFJE. take this opportunity to comment on for public review and comment. Comments should be submitted, proposed and/or continuing information identified by Docket Number NRCS– SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the collections, as required by the 2018–0006, using any of the following intention of NRCS to issue a technical Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. methods: note on a group of recommended • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// DATES: To ensure consideration, written standard methods for soil health www.regulations.gov. Follow the comments must be submitted on or indicators selected by a collaborative instructions for submitting comments. before November 13, 2018. multi-organizational effort, as described • Mail or hand-delivery: Public ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments in the document. USDA/NRCS and Comments Processing, Attention: to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental partner efforts to assess soil health Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Paperwork Clearance Officer, problems and impacts of management Strategic Planning and Accountability, Department of Commerce, 1401 nationally, as part of conservation Natural Resources Conservation Service, Constitution Avenue NW, Room 6616, planning and implementation, will be 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Building 1– Washington, DC 20230 (or via the facilitated if soil health indicators are 1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. internet at docpra@doc.gov.) measured using a standard set of NRCS will post all comments on FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: methods. Soil health is defined as the http://www.regulations.gov. In general, Requests for additional information or capacity of the soil to function as a vital personal information provided with copies of the information collection living ecosystem to sustain plants, comments will be posted. If your instrument and instructions should be animals, and humans. Six key soil comment includes your address, phone directed to Mark Crace, BIS ICB Liaison, physical and biological processes were number, email, or other personal (202) 482–8093 or at mark.crace@ identified that must function well in a identifying information (PII), your bis.doc.gov. healthy soil, and therefore would comments, including PII, may be SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: especially benefit from measurement available to the public. You may ask in methods standardization: (1) Organic your comment that your PII be withheld I. Abstract matter dynamics and carbon from public view, but this cannot be The collection is necessary under sequestration, (2) soil structural guaranteed. Section 750.9 of the Export stability, (3) general microbial activity, Administration Regulation (EAR) which FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. (4) C food source, (5) bioavailable N, outlines the process for obtaining a Diane Stott, National Soil Health and (6) microbial community diversity. duplicate license when a license is lost Specialist, Soil Health Division, U.S. The chosen methods met several criteria or destroyed. Section 750.10 of the EAR Department of Agriculture, Natural including indicator effectiveness with explains the procedure for transfer of Resources Conservation Service, 915 W respect to management sensitivity and ownership of validated export licenses. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, process interpretability, ease of use, cost Both activities are services provided diane.stott@in.usda.gov. effectiveness, measurement after the license approval process. The Electronic copies can be downloaded repeatability, and ability to be used for supporting statement will use the terms or printed from https://go.usa.gov/ agricultural management decisions. The ‘‘transfer’’ and ‘‘duplicate’’ to xUFJE. soil health indicator methods included distinguish the unique activities of each. Requests for paper versions may be are soil organic carbon (dry When no distinction is made, the directed to: Public Comments combustion), water-stable aggregation response supports both activities. Processing, Attention: Regulatory and (Mikha and Rice, 2004), short-term Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning II. Method of Collection mineralizable carbon (Schindelbeck et and Accountability, Natural Resources al., 2016), four enzymes: b-glucosidase Transfer: When a request to transfer a Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside (Deng and Popova, 2011), N-acetyl-b-D- license or licenses is received, BIS Avenue, Building 1–1112D, Beltsville, glucosaminidase (Deng and Popova, reviews the proposed transfer, and if Maryland 20705. 2011), acid or alkaline phosphatase approved, submits a validated letter daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES (Acosta-Martı́nez and Tabatabai, 2011), Signed this 28th day of August 2018, in authorizing the transfer of ownership. and arylsulfatase (Klose et al., 2011), Washington, DC. Duplicate: When a request for a permanganate oxidizable carbon Leonard Jordan, duplicate license is received, the (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), autoclaved Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation original license is found in BIS’s Export citrate extractable (ACE) protein Service. Control Automated Support System (Schindelbeck et al. 2016), and [FR Doc. 2018–19985 Filed 9–13–18; 8:45 am] (ECASS) and the duplicate is then phospholipid fatty acid analysis (Buyer BILLING CODE 3410–16–P issued by ECASS. The request for a VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:06 Sep 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1


Document Created: 2018-09-14 03:03:34
Document Modified: 2018-09-14 03:03:34
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of availability of proposed technical note ``Recommended Soil Health Indicators and Associated Laboratory Procedures'' for public review and comment.
DatesApplicable Date: This is Applicable September 14, 2018.
ContactDr. Diane Stott, National Soil Health Specialist, Soil Health Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 46703 
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