(1) Regardless of the number of acres, any
Person who applies Plant Nutrients to Agricultural Land shall comply with the
Plan guidance set forth within the UMass Guidelines for the
agricultural commodity. This may include multiple UMass
Guidelines specific to the commodity being grown. The information
maintained as part of any UMass Guideline recommendation shall
constitute the Plan for the Agricultural Operation.
(2) In the event that UMass
Guidelines are not available, a Plan containing the information shall
be maintained by the Operator of the Agricultural Operation for all Plant
Nutrient applications made to ten or more acres of Agricultural Land:
(a) Plan identification, which shall include:
1. Operator name and address;
2. location of all land under the
Plan;
3. date the Plan was prepared
or updated;
4. period of time the
Plan covers; and
5. name and
contact information of the Person responsible for the Plan
development.
(b) Map or
aerial photograph, which shall include:
1. one
or more maps or aerial photographs that identify the location and boundaries of
fields or Management Unit;
2. field
or Management Unit number or identifier;
3. acreage of each field or Management
Unit;
4. location of Surface
Waters, Zone A, if present, and Zone I of Public Water Supply Wells, if
present; and
5. identification of
the areas where Plant Nutrient applications are restricted based on setbacks
set forth in
330
CMR 31.03.
(c) If applicable, an inventory of generated
and stored Agricultural Byproducts and Agricultural Process Water to be
land-applied must be kept. A determination of available Plant Nutrients from
these sources should be based on sample analysis results of Plant Nutrient in
stored Agricultural Byproducts and Agricultural Process Water or book values
for Plant Nutrient content in Agricultural Byproducts and process waters as
published in the UMass Guidelines.
(d) Current and/or planned crop and crop
rotation for each field or Management Unit.
(e) Determination of the planned Plant
Nutrient Application Rates on individual fields or Management Units, which
shall be based on:
1. Crop Nutrient Needs
based on crop removal rate and yield goals;
2. Soil Test or plant tissue test
results;
3. application of all
sources of Plant Nutrients;
4.
results of phosphorus soil level assessment, if applicable;
5. nutrient credits from previous crops and
Animal Manure applications, if applicable;
6. environmental factors such as setbacks and
Buffers;
7.
UMass
Guidelines; and
8. the
best information available at the time a Plan is prepared.
(f) If applicable, determination of whether a
Nutrient Application Rate should be based on nitrogen or phosphorus as a
limiting factor.
1. high, above optimum or
excessive phosphorus soils: Recommendations for fields with soils containing a
high, above optimum or excessive phosphorus level shall follow UMass
Guidelines for high-phosphorus soils.
2. optimum or less than optimum phosphorus
soils: Nutrient Application Rates on fields with soil phosphorus levels that
are optimum or less may be based on nitrogen;
(g) Application records shall include the
following:
1. Soil Test results and
recommended Nutrient Application Rates;
2. quantities, analyses, and sources of Plant
Nutrients applied;
3. dates and
method(s) of nutrient application;
4. crops planted and estimated yields;
and
5. all activities or protocols
recommended or required by the Plan.
(h) Guidance for implementation, operation
and maintenance, and record keeping.
(3) Record Keeping for Agricultural Land
under ten acres and for which no UMass Guidelines are
available. The following must be kept by any Operator or Person that does not
meet the Plan requirements set forth in 330 CMR 31.04(1) or (2). Records shall
be maintained by the Operator or Person and shall include:
(a) Soil Test results and recommended
Nutrient Application Rates;
(b)
Quantities, analyses, and sources of Plant Nutrients applied;
(c) Dates and method(s) of Plant Nutrient
application; and
(d) Crops planted
and estimated yields.
(4)
Plan Updates and
Revisions. For Agricultural Operations that are required to keep a
plan, updates and revisions of a Plan shall be made based on review of
crop-year specific information and operation specific information. Information
used to develop crop-year specific field-based plans shall be reviewed and
updated annually, if necessary. Operation-specific information shall be
reviewed and updated every three years, or as necessary when changes occur,
including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) If the planned crop or cropping rotation,
or introduction of a new crop is not currently addressed in an existing Plan,
unless the new crop will have fertility management similar to that crop
originally planned;
(b) If nutrient
source or Soil Test results indicate a change in nutrient
recommendations;
(c) If 10% or
greater change in acreage managed, or 30 acres, whichever is less; or
(d) If a change in Animal Manure production
is 10% or greater, and will require significant management
adjustments.
(5) All
testing of soils, plant tissue, Agricultural Byproducts, and Agricultural
Process Water done in accordance with 330 CMR 31.04 shall comply with the
following:
(a) Each field, or group of fields
with similar soils and crops and history of lime and Fertilizer applications,
shall be Soil Tested at least every three years. Soil Tests shall include
analyses for phosphorus, potassium, pH, and soil organic matter. Standard Soil
Test analyses shall be conducted in accordance with UMass
Guidelines;
(b) Sampling
and testing of Agricultural Byproducts and Agricultural Process Water shall
comply with the following, unless
UMass Guidelines require an
alternative sampling and testing requirement:
1. materials shall be analyzed for nitrogen
(total nitrogen, and ammonia-N), total phosphorus, total potassium, percent
solids;
2. if there is no prior
sampling history, testing shall be done annually for a minimum of three
consecutive years. The average of the results shall be used as a basis for
nutrient allocation to fields. Materials shall then be tested every three
years;
3. samples of these
materials shall be collected, prepared, stored, shipped and tested following
UMass Guidelines; and
4. tests shall be performed whenever there is
a significant change in animal numbers, species, diet, storage method, bedding
materials, or additions of other Agricultural Byproducts, including those from
offsite.
(c) Plant
tissue testing shall be done in accordance with UMass
Guidelines.
(6)
All Plan and record keeping information required under 333 CMR 31.04 shall be
kept for three years in either electronic or hard copy format and shall be made
available for inspection by the Department upon request.
(7) The application of Plant Nutrients must
follow any Plan required by 330 CMR 31.04.
(8) Should UMass Guidelines
not be available when referenced in
330 CMR 31.00, the Applicator
or Operator must follow the equivalent extension service standards or standard
industry practices until such time that UMass Guidelines have
become available.
