Final Staff Report and 

Recommendations on Agricultural Burning 

Appendix B 

CH&SC Crop Categories 
Final Staff Report and 

Recommendations on Agricultural Burning 

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San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District May 20, 2010 

Revised July 21, 2010 

B-3 Appendix B: Table of Crop Categories 

Final Staff Report and 

Recommendations on Agricultural Burning

Table B-1 Current Status of CH&SC Crop Categories and Requirements 

CH&SC Crop Categories and Burn Prohibition Requirements 

Crop Category 

Burn Permits were no longer issued 

for the following: 

Burn Permits have continued to be 

issued for the following: 

Field Crops 

alfalfa, asparagus, barley stubble, beans, 

corn, cotton, flower straw, hay, lemon 

grass, oat stubble, pea vines, peanuts, 

safflower, sugar cane, vegetable crops, 

and wheat stubble 

Phase-in schedule for the burning of rice 

stubble per year of the total acreage of 

rice farmed by the operator: 

• Until June 1, 2010: up to 70% 

• Until June 1, 2015: up to 50% 

Until June 1, 2015 for residual rice 

stubble, spot burning of rice stubble, and 

burning of weeds and vegetative 

materials on rice field levees and banks 

Prunings 

apricot crops, avocado crops, bushberry 

crops, cherry crops, Christmas trees, 

citrus crops, date crops, eucalyptus 

crops, kiwi crops, nectarine crops, 

nursery prunings, olive crops, pasture or 

corral trees, peach crops, persimmon 

crops, pistachio crops, plum crops, pluot 

crops, pomegranate crops, prune crops, 

and rose crops 

fig crops, apple crops, pear crops, and 

quince crops 

Weed Abatement 

berms, fence rows, pasture, grass, and 

Bermuda Grass 

weed abatement activities affecting 

ponding and levee banks 

Orchard Removals 

orchard removal matter of more than 20 

acres at a single location, per calendar 

year 

citrus crops, apple crops, pear crops, 

quince crops, and orchard removal matter 

from a total of 20 acres or less of orchard 

removal at a single location, per calendar 

year 

Vineyard Removals 2010 Crop Category 2010 Crop Category 

Surface Harvested 

Prunings 2010 Crop Category 2010 Crop Category 

Other Materials 2010 Crop Category 2010 Crop Category 

Other CH&SC Requirements 

A conditional burning permit shall be issued by the APCO for crops identified as diseased, if all of the criteria 

cover by Section 5.9 of Rule 4103 (Open Burning) are met. 

At lease one of the Best Management Practices shall be used for the control of other weeds and maintenance, 

as listed in Attachment 1 and as covered by Section 5.5.3 of the April 15, 2010 version of Rule 4103 (Open 

Burning). 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District May 20, 2010 

Revised July 21, 2010 

B-4 Appendix B: Table of Crop Categories 

Final Staff Report and 

Recommendations on Agricultural Burning

Table B-2 Approved Recommendations for the CH&SC Crop Categories & Requirements

CH&SC Crop Categories and Burn Prohibition Requirements 

Crop Category Burn Permits would no longer be 

issued for the following: 

Burn Permits would continue to be 

issued for the following: 

Field Crops alfalfa, asparagus, barley stubble, beans, 

corn, cotton, flower straw, hay, lemon 

grass, oat stubble, pea vines, peanuts, 

safflower, sugar cane, vegetable crops, 

and wheat stubble 

rice stubble up to 70% per year of the 

total acreage of rice farmed by the 

operator 

residual rice stubble, spot burning of rice 

stubble, and burning of weeds and 

vegetative materials on rice field levees 

and banks 

Prunings apricot crops, avocado crops, bushberry 

crops, cherry crops, Christmas trees, 

citrus crops, date crops, eucalyptus 

crops, kiwi crops, nectarine crops, 

nursery prunings, olive crops, pasture or 

corral trees, peach crops, persimmon 

crops, pistachio crops, plum crops, pluot 

crops, pomegranate crops, prune crops, 

rose crops, and fig crops 

apple crops, pear crops, and quince 

crops 

Weed Abatement berms, fence rows, pasture, grass, and 

Bermuda Grass 

weed abatement activities affecting 

ponding and levee banks 

Orchard Removals orchard removal matter of more than 15 

acres at a single location, per calendar 

year 

citrus crops, apple crops, pear crops, 

quince crops, and orchard removal matter 

from a total of 15 acres or less of orchard 

removal at a single location, per calendar 

year 

Vineyard Removals none at this time vineyard removal materials from grape 

and kiwi crops 

Surface Harvested 

Prunings 

grape canes (defined as "vineyard 

materials"), grape vines, and from 

prunings of almond, walnut, and pecan 

crops for each agricultural operation 

whose total nut acreage at all agricultural 

operation sites is 3,500 acres or more 

raisin trays (defined as "vineyard 

materials"), and for up to 20 acres of 

prunings per year for almond, walnut, and 

pecan crops for agricultural operations 

whose total nut acreage at all agricultural 

operation sites is less than 3,500 acres 

with a case-by-case allowance of 

additional burn requests based on 

economic feasibility 

Other Materials brooder paper and deceased goats diseased beehives 

Other CH&SC Requirements 

A conditional burning permit shall be issued by the APCO for crops identified as diseased, if all of the criteria 

cover by Section 5.9 of Rule 4103 (Open Burning) are met. 

At lease one of the Best Management Practices shall be used for the control of other weeds and maintenance, 

as listed in Attachment 1 and as covered by Section 5.5.3 of the April 15, 2010 version of Rule 4103 (Open 

Burning).