soil amendments overview - cornell university · soil amendments overview ... it, or using an...

1On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu

Soil Amendments OverviewA soil amendment refers to any material added to the soil to improve its physical or chemical proper-ties. With fresh fruits and vegetables, food safety concerns are most often associated with biological contamination by pathogens in manure-based soil amendments. However, chemical hazards associated with inorganic fertilizers can represent a chemical risk to crops as well as to those who apply the fertiliz-ers. Many inorganic fertilizers are federally regulated so the first rule is to always follow the label because the label is the law. Proper storage practices and controlling access to these chemicals is also impor-tant to meet federal requirements and reduce the chance of chemical contamination on the farm.

Manure-based soil amendments can harbor patho-gens that can cause illness in humans and may contaminate produce when introduced into the pro-duction environment. This overview is intended to provide general guidelines and recommendations to reduce the likelihood of produce microbial contami-nation when using manure-based soil amendments.

n If it is unknown whether the manure-based soil amendment is raw or fully composted, it should be considered raw manure.

n Recommended time intervals from application of raw manure to the harvest of the produce crop vary from 90 days to 1 year. These recommendations are discussed in more detail below.

n Composting manure can significantly reduce the risk of contamination.

n Recordkeeping is important for all soil amendment applications. Document what, where, when, how, and how much was applied. For compost, the composting process including monitoring time, temperatures, and turnings should also be documented.

Raw Manure When a crop is grown on land on which raw manure has recently been applied, there is a risk that the crop could be contaminated because of the likeli-hood of foodborne illness pathogens being present and the increased risk of crop contamination. If raw manure is used as a soil amendment or fertilizer, it should never be applied during the growing season and always be incorporated into the soil within 72 hours after application. The interval between raw manure application and harvest should be maxi-mized. The required time frame between application and harvest varies throughout the industry. The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA)1 requires an interval of at least one year. The National Organic Program7 (Rule 7 CFR Part 205.203) recommends applications be at least 90 days before harvest for crops that have edible portions which do not come in contact with the soil and at least 120 days before harvest of crops that have edible portions which do come in contact with the soil (crops in or near the soil are most vulnerable to contamination). The proposed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)13

Produce Rule would require nine months between a raw manure application and harvest of a produce crop covered by the rule. Some research even shows that pathogens can persist in the soil well beyond this time frame2,3,4,5 and therefore some leafy green buyers require a five year interval.6

Aside from raw manure purposely applied to fields, it is important to consider manure that may enter the field through runoff, wildlife animal intrusion, or movement from adjacent lands that have domes-ticated farm animals. Please see the Wildlife and Animal Management and Land Use Decision Trees to assess these risks.

2 On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu

CompostComposting animal manure can reduce microbial pathogens and greatly reduce the risk of contami-nation to fruit and vegetable crops. Simply piling manure without actively managing and monitoring it, or using an anaerobic system (also called ‘aging’), is not composting and therefore must be consid-ered raw manure. If the same equipment or tools are used on raw, cured, or curing piles, be sure to clean and sanitize them after use on raw manure to avoid recontamination of the other piles.

Compost must maintain a temperature of between 131 and 170°F for 3 days (enclosed system) or 15 days (windrow system), during which period the composting materials must be turned a minimum of five times. After these steps, the compost pile should cure for 45 days. Finished and curing compost piles should be covered in order to prevent recontami-nation. Acceptable organic materials for compost include, but are not limited to: animal manure, by-products of agricultural commodities processing, yard debris, and kitchen wastes. Detailed records should be kept of pile type (aerobic vs. anaerobic, enclosed, windrow, etc.), temperature and moisture management, dates turned, and the duration of high temperatures. The Northeast Recycling Coun-cil11, and the Cornell Waste Management Institute’s Compost Fact Sheet Series 1–812 provide specific guidelines and tips for composting manure to assure its safe and effective use as a fertilizer. Furthermore, if commercial compost is treated by a scientifically valid controlled physical or chemical process, or combination of these processes, in accordance with the FSMA requirements to meet the microbial stan-dard, there is a 0 day interval between application and harvest.

Leachates and TeasLeachates and teas are used as foliar fertilizers and soil amendments to suppress pests and diseases, as well as enhance soil biology. Compost leachate is the liquid coming out of compost when water

from irrigation, rain, or snow filters through the com-post. Compost tea is made from compost steeped in water. There are two basic types of compost tea, aer-ated and non-aerated.

n Aerated tea = manure/compost mixed with water (1:10-50) and then aerated by injection or re-circulated water for 12–24 hours.15

n Non-aerated tea = manure/compost mixed with water (1:3-10) and left untouched for several days (1–3 weeks).15

To reduce the risk of pathogen contamination of produce:

1. Use potable water when mixing compost teas. The proposed FSMA Produce Rule requires any tea be mixed with water that is free of generic E.coli determined through testing.

2. Use properly composted manure. There is no application restriction on using compost tea made from properly composted manure, though it should only contact the soil and not the edible portion of the crop.

3. Raw manure teas can only be applied to soil and not directly to plants, and should follow the one-year harvest interval.

4. Additives (molasses, yeast, etc.) must follow the same one-year application to harvest interval as raw manure.

5. Compost leachate may be applied to the soil with the 90/120 day rule. It may NOT be applied directly to plant.

6. Teas may NOT be applied to edible seed sprouts.15

RecordkeepingRecordkeeping should always be part of your food safety program. Developing a recordkeeping system that is easy to use will encourage soil amendment

3On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu

applicators to properly document their activities and support the implementation of a farm food safety plan. Documentation should include:

n Type of soil amendment being applied

n Composting method and microbial testing (if applicable)

n Fields receiving application

n Date of application

n Rate (quantity applied per acre)

n Method of application

n What crops will be planted

References 1. Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. 2010. Commodity

Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens. Pg 25.

2. Fukushima, H., K. Hoshina, and M. Gomyoda. 1999. Long-Term Survival of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O26, O111, and O157 in Bovine Feces. Applied and Environ-mental Microbiology 65(11): 5177-5181.

3. Gagliardi, J. V., and J. S. Karns. 2000. Leaching of Escherich-ia coli O157:H7 in Diverse Soils under Various Agricultural Management Practices. Applied and Environmental Micro-biology 66(3): 877-883.

4. Islam, M., M. P. Doyle, S. C. Phatak, P. Millner, and X. Jiang. 2005. Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Soil and on Carrots and Onions Grown in Fields Treated with Con-taminated Manure Composts or Irrigation Water. Food Microbiology 22: 63-70.

5. Wang, G., T. Zhao, and M.P. Doyle. 1996. Fate of enterohe-morrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine feces. Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62(7):2567-2570.

6. Bihn, Elizabeth A. 2011. Survey of Current Water Use Prac-tices on Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farms and Evaluation of Microbiological Quality of Surface Waters Intended for Fresh Produce Production. Thesis (Ph.D.), Cornell Univer-sity, August 2011.

7. National Organic Program. 2012. Rule 7 CFR part 205.203. Soil fertility and crop nutrient management practice standard. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32&idno=7#7:3.1.1.9.32.3.354.4

8. National Resources Conservation Service. 2012. Code 590, Nutrient Management.

9. Food and Drug Administration. 1998. Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Veg-etables. p. 19-26. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidanced-ocuments/produceandplanproducts/ucm169112.pdf

10. GLOBAL GAP Program. 2013. Integrated Farm Assurance, All Farm Base, Crops Base, Fruit and Vegetables. CB 5.5. p. 33. http://globalgap.org/uk_en/for-producers/crops/FV/

11. Northeast Recycling Council. 2008. Manure management for small hobby farms. http://www.nerc.org/documents/manure_management/manure_management_handbook.pdf

12. Cornell Waste Management Institute factsheets. http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/resources.htm#compost

13. Food and Drug Administration. 2013. Proposed Food Safety Modernization Act Rules. Federal Register vol. 78, no. 11, p. 3503. http://www.fda.gov/Food/guidanceregula-tion/FSMA/ucm334114.htm

14. Leafy Green Guidance Handbook. http://www.leafygreen-guidance.com/node/103

15. National Organic Standards Board. 2004. Compost Task Force Report. 21 p. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5058470

16. Erickson, M., F. Critzer and M. Doyle. 2010. Compost-ing Criteria for Animal Manure. Produce Safety Project Issue Brief on Composting of Animal Manures. 13 p. http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/0001/01/01/issue-brief-series-analyses-of-possi-ble-sources-of-produce-contamination

The information in the template food safety plan, SOPs, and recordkeeping logs are examples you can use. They are not intended to be used directly. Tailor each to fit your farm operation and practices. These documents are guidance for risk reduction and for educational use only. These documents are not regulatory and are not intended to be used as audit metrics. These documents are subject to change without notice based on the best available science.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32&idno=7#7:3.1.1.9.32.3.354.4



http://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/produceandplanproducts/ucm169112.pdf



http://globalgap.org/uk_en/for-producers/crops/FV/

http://www.nerc.org/documents/manure_management/manure_management_handbook.pdf



http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/resources.htm#compost


http://www.fda.gov/Food/guidanceregulation/FSMA/ucm334114.htm


http://www.leafygreenguidance.com/node/103


http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5058470


http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/0001/01/01/issue-brief-series-analyses-of-possible-sources-of-produce-contamination



Soil Amendments Decision Tree

On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu


5

No

Yes

Do you use inorganic fertilizer?

1

Yes

Are inorganic fertilizers stored in a covered area that is separate from where produce is handled or stored?

2Fertilizers must be protected from the weather, so they do not chemically react or leach. Produce can be contaminated if handled or stored near fertilizer, or if it comes in contact with chemical leachate.

No

State in plan: “No inorganic fertilizer is used on the farm”. Go to question 4.

Are inorganic fertilizer storage facilities checked weekly and cleaned when necessary?

3

Storage facilities should be inspected weekly to check for spills to reduce risks of chemical contamination. Use the Chemical Storage Facility Monitoring Log to document maintenance checks and cleanings.

Yes

No

Do you use raw untreated manure (e.g. teas, leachates, and slurries) on the farm?

4State in plan “No raw animal manure is used on the farm”. Go to question 1.

Yes

No




6

No

Yes

Do you incorporate raw untreated manure in to the soil at least 1 year before harvest1?

5Raw manure presents a food safety risk because it contains pathogens that can contaminate fresh produce. When using raw manure, reduce risks by incorporating it into the soil within 72 hours after application, and never apply it during the growing season. Maximize the time between manure application and crop harvest to reduce risks. The LGMA requires a 1 year harvest interval, while the NOP requires 90/120 days7 and the FSMA proposed produce rule requires 9 months.13 Refer to the Soil Amendments Overview for more information and references.

Do you avoid spreading raw untreated manure on fields that are water saturated, prone to annual flooding or runoff, or are frozen or snow covered?

6Manure applied to fields that are water saturated or prone to flooding can leach and contaminate surrounding production areas and water sources. Be sure to know and follow municipal, state, and federal rules and regulations. Your Natural Resources Conservation Service8 (NRCS) state offices will have current state standards on water quality protection practices (codes 590 and 633).

Yes

No

If raw untreated manure is stored on your farm, is it covered and physically contained?

7Runoff, leachate, and wind spread from raw manure piles can result in the contamination of produce, soil, and water sources. To reduce risks, manure piles should be physically contained and covered to protect them from rainfall and wind. The minimum containment for storage is on a concrete slab. Raw manure should never be piled in a produce field or on bare soil.

No

Yes




7

If manure is close to production areas, there is a risk that it will contaminate produce by runoff or wind spread. Safe distances for storage will vary depending on the amount of manure present, crop location (downhill and/or downwind) from source, likelihood of runoff or leaching, physical barriers present, and how storage piles/facilities are protected.

No

Yes

Is raw untreated manure from livestock, manure containment structures, storage piles, and composting facilities located at least 400 feet14 from produce fields and handling sites?

8

Is raw untreated manure located at least 200 feet14 from well heads?

9Manure storage areas can leach pathogens into the soil, wells, and other water sources. Wells are particularly susceptible to contamination if they are not capped or properly constructed. To reduce risks of well contamination, be sure the well is properly constructed and capped, install back-flow devices, keep animals out of the well recharge area, store manure downhill from the well, and make sure water runs away from the well head.

Yes

No

Is raw untreated manure separated from surface water sources used during the production of fresh fruits and vegetables?

10Raw manure storage areas near surface water can result in water contamination, either by runoff or through leaching. Safe distance recommendations from the surface water source depend on soil type and slope of land. The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA)1 recommends at least 100 feet if soil is sandy, 200 feet if soil is clay or loam, and 300 feet if slope is greater than 6%.

Yes

No




8

No

Yes

Go to Question 16.

Do you use composted manure or compost manure on your farm?

11

Is the composting process done on your farm?

12If you get your compost from a supplier, ask for documentation about the composting method and microbial testing to include in your records.

Yes

No

Do you properly process/compost manure according to industry standards? For compost guidelines refer to the Soil Amendment Overview.

13Composting manure reduces food safety risks by reducing the likelihood that pathogens are present. Composting requires specific active processing treatments; passive treatments like “aging” do not count as composting. For composting standards, refer to the Soil Amendment Overview. If proper composting practices have not been met by you or your provider, then you must follow the application and storage guidelines for raw manure outlined in questions 5–10.

Yes

No

Do you keep finished compost under covered storage?

14If you store finished or curing compost on your farm, it should be covered to prevent recontamination of the pile. It can be covered with a tarp or stored in an enclosed facility. Recontamination of a compost pile can occur by rain16, wind spread from adjacent manure piles, or bird or other animal intrusion.

Yes

No




9

Composted manure is aless likely to contaminate crop and water sources than raw manure; however, the best practice is to cover and store the compost as far away as possible from water sources and produce fields. When assessing your farm’s risk, some factors to consider are the field locations (uphill or downhill) from compost, likelihood of wind-spread, presence of runoff or leaching, amount of compost being stored, and any physical barriers that are present.

No

Yes

Finished

Is compost stored at least 30 feet14 from produce fields and 80 feet10 from water sources?

15

Do you keep records of the following?n Type of fertilizer being applied

n Method of application

n Field receiving applications

n Date of application

n Rate (quantity applied per acre)

n What crops will be planted

n Compost production methods and microbial testing (if applicable)

16Recordkeeping is critical to keeping track of soil amendment applications, both for plant and soil fertility as well as safety. Utilize the Soil Amendment Application Log for your food safety plan and application recordkeeping.

Yes

No

16. Erickson, M., F. Critzer and M. Doyle. 2010. Composting Criteria for Animal Manure. Produce Safety Project Issue Brief on Composting of Animal Manures. 13 p. http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/0001/01/01/issue-brief-series-analyses-of-possible-sources-of-produce-contamination



10 On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu

References 1. Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. 2010. Commodity

Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens. Pg 25.

2. Fukushima, H., K. Hoshina, and M. Gomyoda. 1999. Long-Term Survival of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O26, O111, and O157 in Bovine Feces. Applied and Environ-mental Microbiology 65(11): 5177-5181.

3. Gagliardi, J. V., and J. S. Karns. 2000. Leaching of Escherich-ia coli O157:H7 in Diverse Soils under Various Agricultural Management Practices. Applied and Environmental Micro-biology 66(3): 877-883.

4. Islam, M., M. P. Doyle, S. C. Phatak, P. Millner, and X. Jiang. 2005. Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Soil and on Carrots and Onions Grown in Fields Treated with Con-taminated Manure Composts or Irrigation Water. Food Microbiology 22: 63-70.

5. Wang, G., T. Zhao, and M.P. Doyle. 1996. Fate of enterohe-morrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine feces. Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62(7):2567-2570.

6. Bihn, Elizabeth A. 2011. Survey of Current Water Use Prac-tices on Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farms and Evaluation of Microbiological Quality of Surface Waters Intended for Fresh Produce Production. Thesis (Ph.D.), Cornell Univer-sity, August 2011.

7. National Organic Program. 2012. Rule 7 CFR part 205.203. Soil fertility and crop nutrient management practice standard. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32&idno=7#7:3.1.1.9.32.3.354.4

8. National Resources Conservation Service. 2012. Code 590, Nutrient Management.

9. Food and Drug Administration. 1998. Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Veg-etables. p. 19-26. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidanced-ocuments/produceandplanproducts/ucm169112.pdf

10. GLOBAL GAP Program. 2013. Integrated Farm Assurance, All Farm Base, Crops Base, Fruit and Vegetables. CB 5.5. p. 33. http://globalgap.org/uk_en/for-producers/crops/FV/

11. Northeast Recycling Council. 2008. Manure management for small hobby farms. http://www.nerc.org/documents/manure_management/manure_management_handbook.pdf

12. Cornell Waste Management Institute factsheets. http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/resources.htm#compost


13. Food and Drug Administration. 2013. Proposed Food Safety Modernization Act Rules. Federal Register vol. 78, no. 11, p. 3503. http://www.fda.gov/Food/guidanceregula-tion/FSMA/ucm334114.htm

14. Leafy Green Guidance Handbook. http://www.leafygreen-guidance.com/node/103

15. National Organic Standards Board. 2004. Compost Task Force Report. 21 p. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5058470

16. Erickson, M., F. Critzer and M. Doyle. 2010. Compost-ing Criteria for Animal Manure. Produce Safety Project Issue Brief on Composting of Animal Manures. 13 p. http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/0001/01/01/issue-brief-series-analyses-of-possi-ble-sources-of-produce-contamination







http://globalgap.org/uk_en/for-producers/crops/FV/















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On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu 17

Template Language for Soil Amendments Section of a Farm Food Safety Plan

Risk Assessment

Inorganic fertilizers represent a chemical contamination risk to crops. We are aware of the chemical

hazards associated with inorganic fertilizers and have implemented practices to reduce these risks.

Practices are outlined below.

Biological soil amendments, including raw manure, represent a food safety risk because they can

carry foodborne illness pathogens that can contaminate fields and fresh produce when they are

applied. We have completed a risk assessment of the soil amendment applications we use on the farm

and implemented practices to reduce identified risks. Our composting practices have also been

assessed and are documented to ensure the processes we use are effective at minimizing food safety

risks.

Actions

Inorganic fertilizers are never kept near where produce is grown, handled, or stored to reduce the risk

of chemical contamination. Documentation of storage area monitoring and cleaning is kept in the

Chemical Storage Facility Monitoring Log and can be found [state location]. We always follow the

label for determining rates of applications.

Raw manure is applied and incorporated in the field at least [state # of days] before planting and at

least [state # of days] before harvest. Manure applications are documented in the Soil Amendment

Application Log located [state location]. In order to minimize leaching and contamination, raw manure

is never spread on fields that are water saturated, prone to annual flooding, runoff, or are frozen or

snow covered [OR Manure is sometimes spread on fields that are water saturated, prone to annual

flooding, runoff, or are frozen or snow covered but is done in accordance with state regulations

[describe regulations]].

(You must choose either A or B depending on whether or not you store manure on your farm.)

A. Manure is applied to fields immediately, requiring no storage areas on the farm.

B. Manure stockpiles are stored on farm and therefore all possible precautions are taken to

prevent contamination of crop production areas, water sources, and produce handling facilities.

Manure stockpiles are covered with a [state material], physically contained by [describe

containment], and stored [state distance] from water sources, [state distance] from produce

production and handling areas. [Describe any other precautions taken to minimize

contamination by runoff and windspread, such as downhill, downwind, or use of

vegetative buffers]

On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Soil Amendments—v5 7/16/2014 18 E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, 2014 www.gaps.cornell.edu

Composting Practices (if applicable)

(You must choose either C or D depending on if you buy or make compost.)

C. We purchase composted manure from [state company name]. We keep the compost

microbial test results and certificate of their process on file and keep the records [state

location].

D. Manure is processed on our farm and is properly composted before application to reduce

pathogens. Our [state type of compost pile] system reaches a temperature of at least [state

temperature (must be at least 131°F)] for [state # of days] days, after which it cures for at

least 45 days. It is turned [state # of turns] times. We keep a Compost Process Log to

document these procedures.

Compost Storage (if applicable):

(You must choose either E or F depending on your farm situation.)

E. Composted manure is applied immediately after it is received, requiring no storage on farm.

F. To prevent recontamination of compost piles and contamination of nearby water sources by

runoff, compost piles are covered with a [state material], and stored [state distance] from

surface water, [state distance] from well heads, and [state distance] from produce fields.

[Describe any other precautions taken to minimize contamination by runoff and

windspread, such as downhill, downwind, or use of vegetative buffers].

Recordkeeping

Records are kept of fields receiving soil amendments, including type (raw, composted manure, or

inorganic), quantity, application method, dates of application, fields where it was applied, and crops

planted (pertains to raw manure users – at least 1 year). We keep a Soil Amendment Application Log

to document all application practices. All recordkeeping logs are located [enter location here] and

stored for [enter time period here-should be at least 2 years].

soil amendments overview - cornell university · soil amendments overview ... it, or using an...

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