National Agronomy Manual

227 Pages·2002·2.54 MB·English

National
Agronomy
United States
Department of
Manual
Agriculture
Natural
Resources
Conservation
Service
(190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., July 2001)
i
National
Agronomy
Manual
October 2002
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for
communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape,
etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at [phone] (voice
and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call [phone] (voice or TDD). USDA is
an equal opportunity employer.
ii (190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002)
Part 500 Authorities, Policies, and Responsibilities
Contents: Subpart 500A Authority 500–1
500.00 Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935 .................................500–1
500.01 Purpose of the Agronomy Manual ....................................................................500–1
Subpart 500B Agronomic policies 500–2
500.10 Location of policy .............................................................................................500–2
500.11 Amendments to NAM .......................................................................................500–2
Subpart 500C Responsibilities of agronomists 500–2
500.20 Responsibilities of national, State, area, and field agronomists ........................500–2
500.30 Technical information—preparing, transferring, and training ..........................500–3
500.40 Certification ......................................................................................................500–3
500.50 Affiliation with professional organizations ......................................................500–3
(190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002) 500–i

Part 500 Authorities, Policies, and
Responsibilities
500.01 Purpose of the AgronomyManual
Subpart 500A Authority
The National Agronomy Manual (NAM) contains policy for
agronomy activities and provides technical procedures for
uniform implementation of agronomy tools and applica-
500.00 Soil Conservation and Domestic
tions.
Allotment Act of 1935
The basic legislation for soil and water conservation pro-
grams by the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) is the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment
Act, Public Law 74–46 of 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a-590f).
This original act recognized that agronomy, the science of
field crop production, is essential in fulfilling the agency’s
responsibilities. The Buchanan Amendment to the Agricul-
tural Appropriations Bill for FY 1930 (Public Law 70-769)
led to the enactment of Public Law 74-46. In 1933, the Soil
Erosion Service was established as a temporary agency of
the Department of the Interior. The agency was transferred
to USDA in 1935 and named the Soil Conservation Service
(SCS). In 1994, the Natural Resources Conservation Service
was established by Public Law 103–354, the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act (7 U.S.C. 6962).
The NRCS combines the authorities of the former Soil Con-
servation Service as well as five natural resource conserva-
tion cost-share programs previously administered by other
USDA agencies. The mission of the NRCS is to provide
leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve,
maintain and improve our natural resources and environ-
ment. NRCS provides technical assistance through local
conservation districts on a voluntary basis to land users,
communities, watershed groups, Federal and State agencies,
and other cooperators. The agency’s work focuses on ero-
sion reduction, water quality improvement, wetland restora-
tion and protection, fish and wildlife habitat improvement,
range management, stream restoration, water management,
and other natural resource problems.
190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002) 500–1
Part 500 Authorities, Policies, and National
Responsibilities Agronomy
Manual
Subpart 500B Agronomic policies Subpart 500C Responsibilities of
agronomists
500.10 Location of policy
Agronomic policies are contained in specific parts and sub- 500.20 Responsibilities of national, State,
parts of this National Agronomy Manual as appropriate. area, and field agronomists
The national agronomist, nutrient management, and pest
500.11 Amendments to NAM management specialists at the national level, cooperating
scientists for agronomy, and agronomists on the institutes
The NAM will be amended as needed, as additional re- and center staffs provide staff assistance in all NRCS pro-
search is completed, existing methods or procedures are up- grams and provide national leadership on NRCS agronomy
dated, or as new technology is developed and approved for related activities. They are responsible for:
use in the NRCS. The national agronomist is responsible for • assisting upper management in formulating and
updating this manual. recommending national policies, procedures, and
standards;
• technical leadership and guidance; quality
control;
• national coordination of agronomy with other NRCS
technical fields; and
• promoting and maintaining relations with groups and
agencies that have common interest in agronomy.
State agronomists provide staff assistance to the State Con-
servationist for all agronomy and related functions. They
are responsible for:
• Assisting in developing State policies, procedures,
and instructions, and coordinating them with other
States within the region.
• Providing technical leadership and guidance to other
agronomists and appropriate personnel within the
State.
• Collaborating with other State staff members to ensure
interdisciplinary action in all NRCS programs.
• Training field personnel.
• Participating in agronomy components of appraisals
and reviews.
• Maintaining working relations with research centers
and other cooperating agencies.
• Developing and revising of all aspects of Field Office
Technical Guides related to agronomy.
• Providing assistance in interdisciplinary technical
reviews of project plans, environmental impact
statements, and other technical materials.
• Coordinating agronomy functions with other States in
the region and across regional boundaries as appro-
priate.
500–2 (190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002)
Part 500 Authorities, Policies, and National
Responsibilities Agronomy
Manual
Area or zone agronomists provide staff assistance in all Agronomists receive and provide training necessary to
NRCS programs. They are responsible for carrying out the maintain technical competency at all administrative levels.
requirements of conservation agronomy consistent with Training includes but is not limited to National Employee
technical proficiency, training, interdisciplinary action, and Development Courses, workshops, conferences, and univer-
quality control within their administrative area. In some sity courses.
cases, these agronomists may carry out some of the respon-
sibilities of the state agronomists if so delegated.
500.40 Certification
Field office agronomists are usually in training positions.
Training is provided by agronomists at the area or State Agronomists at all levels of the agency are encouraged to
level. obtain professional certification(s). Examples of certifica-
tion programs include the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA)
Agronomists in the above positions may provide specific and Certified Professional Agronomists (CPAg) under
functions through team or ad hoc assignments at a national, ARCPACS of the American Society of Agronomy, Certi-
regional, or State level. fied Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control
(CPESC) of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and
Each agronomist has the responsibility to develop their state pesticide applicator licenses. Continuing educational
training needs inventory and to work with their supervisor requirements of most certification programs provide excel-
to obtain technical training to improve their overall agro- lent opportunities to stay abreast of advances in technology.
nomic expertise.
Standards of performance for agronomists are contained in
500.50 Affiliation with professional organi-
the NRCS Personnel Manual.
zations
Agronomists at all levels are encouraged to be active mem-
500.30 Technical information—preparing,
bers of professional scientific societies, such as the Ameri-
transferring, and training
can Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America,
Crop Science Society of America, the Soil and Water Con-
Agronomists use technical information that has been devel-
servation (cid:31)Society. These organizations provide opportuni-
oped at centers, institutes, national, or State level and main-
ties to interact with researchers at the national and State
tain technical materials for the administrative area they
level and to stay current on the latest technology.
serve. State staff agronomists develop and review field of-
fice technical guide materials and ensure materials are tech-
nically correct, comprehensive, and useful to the end user.
NRCS policy on preparing and maintaining technical guides
is in Title 450-GM, Part 401. In addition, state agronomists
are responsible for technical notes and other agronomy
technical materials that are applicable to the State.
Agronomists issue technical information at the area, state,
or national level. This may include original information, re-
search notes, papers, or excerpts of such material. Agrono-
mists are encouraged to submit articles for publication or
presentation at professional meetings. Technical informa-
tion presented or prepared for publication shall have an ap-
propriate technical and or administrative review and include
crediting of appropriate references.
(190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002) 500–3

Part 501 Water Erosion
Contents: Subpart 501A Introduction 501–1
501.00 Overview of Content in Part 501 Water Erosion ..............................................501–1
Subpart 501B Water erosion 501–1
501.10 Forms of water erosion .....................................................................................501–1
501.11 The water erosion process .................................................................................501–1
Subpart 501C Estimating sheet and rill erosion 501–2
501.20 How, why, and by whom water erosion is estimated ........................................501–2
501.21 Methods of estimating sheet and rill erosion ....................................................501–2
501.22 The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation .......................................................501–3
501.23 Limitations of the equation ...............................................................................501–3
501.24 Alternative methods of applying RUSLE .........................................................501–3
501.25 Data needed to support RUSLE ........................................................................501–3
501.26 Tools for using RUSLE ....................................................................................501–4
Subpart 501D RUSLE factors 501–4
501.30 The average annual soil loss estimate, A ..........................................................501–4
501.31 The rainfall and runoff erosivity factor, R ........................................................501–4
501.32 The soil erodibility factor, K .............................................................................501–4
501.33 The slope length and steepness factors, L and S ...............................................501–5
501.34 The cover-management factor, C ......................................................................501–5
501.35 The support practice factor, P ...........................................................................501–5
Subpart 501E Principles of water erosion control 501–6
501.40 Overview of principles ......................................................................................501–6
501.41 Relation of control to RUSLE factors ...............................................................501–6
Subpart 501F References 501–7
Exhibits Exhibit 501–1 Acceptable class and half-class factor K values for use in 550011––88
RUSLE where K values are adjusted for seasonal variability
(190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002) 501–i
501–ii (190-V-NAM, 3rd Ed., October 2002)