C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
Page 1 of 6
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
NOP §205.203 and §205.205
A. GENERAL INFORMATION: Soil management, including crop rotations, must actively build soil fertility, manage plant nutrients, protect natural resources and prevent
soil erosion. All fertility inputs must be verified for compliance to the standards prior to actual use. The operator must monitor fertility practices and procedures to
verify the organic plan is effectively implemented. Plant and animal materials (manure, compost, and non-composted plant materials) must be managed so that they
do not contribute to contamination of crops, soil and water nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or residues of prohibited substances.
Please list all materials used or planned for use in A7 – Inputs.
What are your soil types?
Clay
Sand
Loam
Does the soil have nutrient deficiencies?
If yes, please specify the deficiencies:
Silt
Other, specify:
No
Yes
How do you monitor the effectiveness of your fertility management program? Please attach copies of most recent test results.
Other, specify:
Soil testing
Microbiological testing
Observation of crop health
Tissue testing
Crop quality testing
Observation of soil
Do you burn crop residues?
If yes, please describe the crop, purpose, and timing of burn:
No
Yes
Do you apply sludge to fields?
If yes, list fields where applied:
No
Yes
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
Page 2 of 6
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
NOP §205.203 and §205.205
B. COMPOST USE: NOP Rule 205.203 (c)(2) requires that the composting process must include a C:N ratio of between 25:1 and 40:1 and maintenance of
temperatures between 131°F and 170°F for a specific number of days, depending on the method of composting. Keep a compost production record to verify
compliance.
Do you use compost?
No
Yes
If yes, please answer the following questions
What composting method do you use?
In-vessel
Static aerated pile
Windrows
Other, specify:
What is your initial C:N ratio?
Do you monitor temperature?
How long is this temperature maintained?
No
Yes, specify the temperature maintained:
If compost is windrowed, how many times is it turned?
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
NOP §205.203 and §205.205
C. MANURE USE: NOP Rule §205.203 (c)(1) requires that raw manure must be fully composted unless applied to fields with crops not for human consumption or
incorporated into the soil 120 days prior to harvest for crops whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil, or 90 days prior to harvest for all other crops for
human consumption. If you are composting manure, please complete C5 B. Compost Use above.
Do you use manure?
No
Yes
If yes, please complete the following questions:
What forms of manure do you use?
Liquid
Semi-solid
Fully composted
Other, specify:
Piled
Pelleted
Conventional poultry
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
Page 3 of 6
List all manure ingredients and additives:
What is the source of the manure you use?
On-farm
Off-Farm
If you use off-farm sources of manure, what are the potential contaminants (pit additives, feed additives, heavy metals, etc.) from these sources? Attach residue
analysis/additive specifications of all off-farm manure if available.
List all sources of off-farm manure:
What type of crops do you grow? Check all that apply:
Crops not used for human consumption
Crops for human consumption whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil
Crops for human consumption whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
If you grow crops for human consumption and use raw manure, complete the following table:
Type of Crop
Field Names or Numbers
Date Manure Applied
Example – corn
# 26
April 17, 2013
Page 4 of 6
Expected Date of Harvest
November 4, 2013
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
NOP §205.203 and §205.205
D. NATURAL RESOURCES (SOIL CONSERVATION AND WATER USE): NOP Rule §205.200 and §205.203(a) require that production practices must maintain or improve the
natural resources of the operations, including soil and water quality. Practices must minimize erosion. Irrigation water should not contaminate organic crops with
prohibited materials. Methods to conserve water should be part of any irrigation plan.
Do you experience any soil erosion problems?
No
Yes
If yes, describe the problem, cause, and field names or numbers below:
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
What conservation practices are used?
Terraces
Windbreaks
Firebreaks
Other, specify:
Page 5 of 6
Contour farming
Strip cropping
Maintain wildlife habitat
Retention ponds
Under sowing/interplanting
Riparian management
How is water used in your operation?
Irrigation
Washing crops
Livestock
Greenhouse
Foliar sprays
Other, specify:
What is the source of water used?
On-site well
Municipal/county
River/creek/pond
Irrigation district
Spring
Other, specify:
Winter cover crops
Permanent waterways
Type of irrigation system:
Drip
Center pivot
Underground
Flood
Micro-spray
Other, specify:
What input products are applied through the irrigation system? Please also list in A7 – Inputs.
What products do you use to clean irrigation lines and nozzles? Please also list in A7 – Inputs.
Is the system shared with another operator?
If yes, what products do the shared operators use in the irrigation system?
No
Yes
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707
C5 – Soil and Crop Fertility Management
ECOCERT ICO – Crop Producer OSP
Page 6 of 6
Is the system flushed (and the flush documented) between conventional and organic use?
What practices are used to protect water quality?
Fencing livestock from waterways
Scheduled use of water to conserve
Tensiometer/monitoring
Laser leveling/land forming
Other, specify:
No
Yes
Micro-spray irrigation
Drip irrigation
List known contaminants in water supplies in your area. Attach residue analysis/salinity test results if available.
What water contamination problems do you experience (why and where)?
Describe your efforts to minimize water contamination problems listed above.
Applicant Initials
Date
Approval
CM
Form code
C5 (v1) (f)
Last update
12/24/2013
If you have questions, we are happy to help. Please call: 1-888-337-8246. Submit your application at info.ecocertico@ecocert.com / Fax: 317-865-9707